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LEE    AND    LONGSTREET 
AT  HIGH  TIDE 


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LEE  AND  LONGSTREET 


AT  HIGH  TIDE 


GETTYSBURG   IN   THE   LIGHT  OF  THE 
OFFICIAL   RECORDS 


BY 


HELEN   D.  LONGSTREET 


PUBLISHED    BY    THE    AUTHOR 

GAINESVILLE,  GA. 
1904 


REESE 

COPYRIGHT,  1904 
BY  HELEN  D.  LONGSTREET 


Electrotyped  and  Printed  by  J.  B.  Lippincott  Company,  Philadelphia 


er 


TO 

LONGSTREET  AT  GETTYSBURG 

FROM    HER   WHO    SINCE    CHILDHOOD    HAS    HELD 

HIS    HEROIC     DEEDS    AS    SOLDIER    AND    CITIZEN 

AMONG  THE   PRICELESS   INHERITANCES    OF   THE 

GREAT    REPUBLIC 


PREFACE 

THIS  brief  story  of  a  gigantic  event,  and  General 
Longstreet's  part  therein  was  arranged  for  publica 
tion  in  book  form  in  the  fall  of  1903,  before  his  death, 
which  occurred  January  2,  1904.  It  is  the  carefully 
sifted  story  of  the  records  and  contemporaneous  wit 
nesses,  and  for  clearness  I  have  here  and  there  intro 
duced  General  Longstreet's  personal  version  of  some 
of  the  disputed  points.  But  the  reader  will  perceive 
that  at  last  it  is  the  story  of  the  records. 

For  my  undertaking  I  drew  liberally  from  General 
Longstreet's  memoirs  of  the  war,  "  Manassas  to  Ap- 
pomattox;"  from  his  stores  of  knowledge  in  the  mili 
tary  art,  and  his  treasure-house  of  memories  of  the 
Titanic  encounter  on  the  field  of  Gettysburg.  The  war- 
pictures  included  herein  are  also  from  the  above-men 
tioned  volume.  And  I  am  gratefully  indebted  to  Cap 
tain  Leslie  J.  Perry,  formerly  of  the  War  Records 
Office,  Washington  City,  for  valuable  assistance. 

An  appendix,  added  since  General  Longstreet's 
death,  includes  a  small  selection  from  the  thousands  of 
tributes  from  every  quarter  of  the  republic. 

One  of  the  last  of  the  brilliant  generals  of  the  Civil 
War,  whose  valor  and  skill  in  the  command  of  great 
armies,  is  to-day  the  common  glory  of  the  restored 
Union,  has  contributed  an  introduction.  No  survivor 
of  the  great  struggle  has  a  better  right  to  speak  of 
Gettysburg  than  General  Daniel  E.  Sickles.  In  this 
connection  the  following  letter  is  appreciatively  repro 
duced. 

7 


PREFACE 

"WASHINGTON,  September  19,  1902. 
"  GENERAL  D.  E.  SICKLES, 

"  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania : 

"  MY  DEAR  GENERAL  SICKLES, — My  plan  and  desire  was  to 
meet  you  at  Gettysburg  on  the  interesting  ceremony  attending 
the  unveiling  of  the  Slocum  monument ;  but  to-day  I  find  myself 
in  no  condition  to  keep  the  promise  made  you  when  last  we  were 
together.  I  am  quite  disabled  from  a  severe  hurt  in  one  of  my 
feet,  so  that  I  am  unable  to  stand  more  than  a  minute  or  two 
at  a  time.  Please  express  my  sincere  regrets  to  the  noble  Army 
of  the  Potomac,  and  accept  them,  especially,  for  yourself. 

"  On  that  field  you  made  your  mark  that  will  place  you  promi 
nently  before  the  world  as  one  of  the  leading  figures  of  the  most 
important  battle  of  the  Civil  War.  As  a  Northern  veteran 
once  remarked  to  me,  '  General  Sickles  can  well  afford  to  leave 
a  leg  on  that  field.' 

"  I  believe  it  is  now  conceded  that  the  advanced  position  at  the 
Peach-Orchard,  taken  by  your  corps  and  under  your  orders 
saved  that  battle-field  to  the  Union  cause.  It  was  the  sorest  and 
saddest  reflection  of  my  life  for  many  years ;  but,  to-day,  I 
can  say,  with  sincerest  emotion,  that  it  was  and  is  the  best  that 
could  have  come  to  us  all,  North  and  South ;  and  I  hope  that  the 
nation,  reunited,  may  always  enjoy  the  honor  and  glory  brought 
to  it  by  the  grand  work. 

"  Please  offer  my  kindest  salutations  to  your  governor  and 
your  fellow-comrades  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

"  Always  yours  sincerely, 
(Signed)  "  JAMES  LONGSTREET, 

"  Lieutenant-General  Confederate  Army." 

Early  in  December  advance  chapters  were  given  to 
the  press  for  January  3;  by  strangely  pathetic  coin 
cidence  that  being  the  date  on  which  public  announce 
ment  was  made  of  General  Longstreet's  death. 

This  hour  does  not  clamor  for  the  charity  of  silence, 
but  for  the  white  light  of  truth  which  I  reverently 
undertake  to  throw  upon  the  deeds  of  the  commander 


PREFACE 

who,  from  Manassas  to  Appomattox,  was  the  strong 
right  arm  of  the  Confederate  States  Army. 

I  was  writing  for  love  of  him  whose  dear  name  and 
fame  had  been  attacked;  to  place  before  his  fading 
vision  enduring  appreciation  of  his  valiant  deeds  as  a 
soldier  and  high  qualities  as  a  gentleman.  Providence 
decreed  otherwise.  While  the  opening  chapters  were 
running  into  type,  the  Great  Captain  on  High  called 
him  hence,  where  he  can  at  last  have  his  wrongs  on 
earth  forever  righted. 

The  warrior  sleeps  serenely  to-day,  undisturbed  by 
all  earthly  contentions,  the  peace  of  God  upon  him. 
And  I  bring  to  his  tomb  this  little  leaf  fragrant  with 
my  love,  bedewed  with  my  tears,  heavy-weighted  with 
my  woe  and  desolation. 

H.  D.  L. 

GAINESVILLE,  GEORGIA,  August  1,  1904. 


CONTENTS 

LEE  AND  LONGSTREET  AT  HIGH  TIDE 

PAGE 

INTRODUCTION   17 

CHAPTER    I 
THE  STORY  OF  GETTYSBURG 31 

CHAPTER    II 
LEE  CHANGES  PLAN  OF  CAMPAIGN    40 

CHAPTER    III 
PICKETT'S  CHARGE    50 

CHAPTER    IV 
GORDON'S   "  ESTABLISHED    FACTS"   AND    PENDLETON'S    FULMI- 

NATIONS    53 

CHAPTER    V 
LONGSTREET'S  VERSION  OF  THE  OPERATIONS  OF  JULY  2 68 

CHAPTER    VI 
PENDLETON'S   REPORT    71 

CHAPTER    VII 
PENDLETON'S  UNRELIABLE   MEMORY    75 

CHAPTER    VIII 
GENERAL  LONGSTREET'S  AMERICANISM   85 

CHAPTER    IX 

FINALE   89 

11 


CONTENTS 

LONGSTREET  THE   MAN 

PAGE 

His  BOYHOOD  DAYS   93 

LIFE-LONG  FRIENDSHIP  OF  GRANT  AND  LONGSTREET 100 

His  FIRST   ROMANCE    109 

HEROIC  CITIZEN  OF  THE  RECONSTRUCTION  PERIOD 112 

THE  CHRISTIAN  PATRIOT  LOVED  THE  SOUTH  TO  THE  LAST  ....  115 

WORSHIPPED  BY  THE  SOLDIERS  OF  THE  CONFEDERACY 119 

His  COUNTRY  HOME  IN  PICTURESQUE  NORTH  GEORGIA 123 


LONGSTREET  ON  THE    FIELDS    OF  MEXICO 

CHAPTER    I 
THE  WINNING  OF  OUR  WESTERN  EMPIRE   127 

CHAPTER    II 
PECULIARITIES  OF  SCOTT  AND  TAYLOR 134 

CHAPTER    III 
UNPRETENTIOUS  LIEUTENANT  GRANT 139 

CHAPTER    IV 
PLEASANT  INCIDENTS  OF  CAMP  LIFE  AT  CORPUS  CHRISTI  ....    144 

CHAPTER    V 
INTO  THE  INTERIOR  OF  MEXICO    149 

CHAPTER    VI 
FROM  CONTRERAS  TO  CHAPULTEPEC    156 

CHAPTER    VII 

LONGSTREET'S  HONEYMOON   159 

12 


CONTENTS 
GREAT  BATTLES  BEFORE  AND  AFTER  GETTYSBURG 

PAGE 

THE   FIRST   MANASSAS    163 

WlLLIAMSBURO 167 

FRAYSER'S  FARM    170 

MARCH  AGAINST  POPE  AND  THE  SECOND  MANASSAS    173 

THE  INVASION  OF  MARYLAND  AND  THE  BATTLE  OF  ANTIETAM  180 

FREDERICKSBURG    185 

CHICKAMAUGA    191 

IN  EAST  TENNESSEE 194 

THE  WILDERNESS    205 

THE  CURTAIN  FALLS  AT  APPOMATTOX   .  . .  208 


APPENDIX 

LoNGSTREET 213 

JAMES  LONGSTREET 214 

THE   FUNERAL   CEREMONIES    217 

TRIBUTES  FROM  THE  PRESS   226 

RESOLUTIONS  BY  CAMPS  AND  CHAPTERS   272 

LETTER  OF   PRESIDENT   ROOSEVELT    330 

PERSONAL  LETTERS 331 

LETTER  OF  ARCHBISHOP  IRELAND    332 

LETTER  OF  GENERAL  FREDERICK  D.  GRANT   334 

TRIBUTE  FROM  THE  GRAND  ARMY  OF  THE  REPUBLIC   345 


13 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 


General  James  Longstreet  in  1863   (from  the  painting  in  the 

Corcoran  Art  Gallery,  Washington) Frontispiece 

General  Robert  E.  Lee 32 

Major-General  D.  E.  Sickles 40 

Second  Day's  Battle,  Gettysburg 68 

Retreat  from  Gettysburg  (Accident  during  the  Night-Crossing 

of  the  Potomac  on  a  Pontoon  Bridge) 78 

General  Longstreet  in   1901 90 

Defeat  of  the  Federal  Troops  by  Longstreet's  Corps,  Second 

Manassas    178 

Battle  of  Fredericksburg  (from  the  Battery  on  Lee's  Hill)  ...    190 
Battle    of    Chickamauga     (Confederates    flanking    the    Union 

Forces)    192 

The  Assault  on  Fort  Sanders,  Knoxville 196 

The  Wounding  of  General  Longstreet  at  the  Wilderness,  May  6, 

1864    206 

General  Alexander  arranging  the  Last  Line  of  Battle  formed 

in  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  at  Appomattox 212 

Fac-simile  of  Letter  from  President  Theodore  Roosevelt 330 

Fac-simile  of  Letter  from  Archbishop  John  Ireland 332 

Fac-simile  of  Letter  from  General  Frederick  D.  Grant. .  .    334 


15 


INTRODUCTION 
BY  MAJOR-GENERAL  D.  E.  SICKLES,  U.S.A. 

I  AM  glad  to  write  an  introduction  to  a  memoir  of 
Lieutenant-General  Longstreet. 

If  it  be  thought  strange  that  I  should  write  a  preface 
to  a  memoir  of  a  conspicuous  adversary,  I  reply  that 
the  Civil  War  is  only  a  memory,  its  asperities  are  for 
gotten,  both  armies  were  American,  old  army  friend 
ships  have  been  renewed  and  new  army  friendships  have 
been  formed  among  the  combatants,  the  truth  of  history 
is  dear  to  all  of  us,  and  the  amenities  of  chivalrous  man 
hood  are  cherished  alike  by  the  North  and  the  South, 
when  justice  to  either  is  involved.  Longstreet's  splendid 
record  as  a  soldier  needs  neither  apologies  nor  eulogium. 
And  if  I  venture,  further  along  in  this  introduction,  to 
defend  him  from  unfair  criticism,  it  is  because  my  per 
sonal  knowledge  of  the  battle  of  July  2,  1863,  qualifies 
me  to  testify  in  his  behalf.  It  was  the  fortune  of  my 
corps  to  meet  Longstreet  on  many  great  fields.  It  is 
now  my  privilege  to  offer  a  tribute  to  his  memory.  As 
Colonel  Damas  says  in  "  The  Lady  of  Lyons,"  after 
his  duel  with  Melnotte,  "  It's  astonishing  how  much  I 
like  a  man  after  I've  fought  with  him." 

Often  adversaries  on  the  field  of  battle,  we  became 
good  friends  after  peace  was  restored.  He  supported 
President  Grant  and  his  successors  in  their  wise  policy 
of  restoration.  Longstreet's  example  was  the  rainbow 
of  reconciliation  that  foreshadowed  real  peace  between 
the  North  and  South.  He  drew  the  fire  of  the  irrecon 
cilable  South.  His  statesmanlike  forecast  blazed  the 

2  17 


INTRODUCTION 

path  of  progress  and  prosperity  for  his  people,  im 
poverished  by  war  and  discouraged  by  adversity.  He 
was  the  first  of  the  illustrious  Southern  war  leaders  to 
accept  the  result  of  the  great  conflict  as  final.  He 
folded  up  forever  the  Confederate  flag  he  had  followed 
with  supreme  devotion,  and  thenceforth  saluted  the 
Stars  and  Stripes  of  the  Union  with  unfaltering 
homage.  He  was  the  trusted  servant  of  the  republic  in 
peace,  as  he  had  been  its  relentless  foe  in  war.  The 
friends  of  the  Union  became  his  friends,  the  enemies  of 
the  Union  his  enemies. 

I  trust  I  may  be  pardoned  for  relating  an  incident 
that  reveals  the  sunny  side  of  Longstreet's  genial  na 
ture.  When  I  visited  Georgia,  in  March,  1892,  I  was 
touched  by  a  call  from  the  General,  who  came  from 
Gainesville  to  Atlanta  to  welcome  me  to  his  State.  On 
St.  Patrick's  Day  we  supped  together  as  guests  of  the 
Irish  Societies  of  Atlanta,  at  their  banquet.  We  en 
tered  the  hall  arm  in  arm,  about  nine  o'clock  in  the  even 
ing,  and  were  received  by  some  three  hundred  gentle 
men,  with  the  wildest  and  loudest  "  rebel  yell"  I  had 
ever  heard.  When  I  rose  to  respond  to  a  toast  in  honor 
of  the  Empire  State  of  the  North,  Longstreet  stood 
also  and  leaned  with  one  arm  on  my  shoulder,  the  better 
to  hear  what  I  had  to  say,  and  this  was  a  signal  for 
another  outburst.  I  concluded  my  remarks  by  pro- 
posing,- 

"  Health  and  long  life  to  my  old  adversary,  Lieutenant- 
General  Longstreet," 

assuring  the  audience  that,  although  the  General  did  not 
often  make  speeches,  he  would  sing  the  "  Star-Spangled 
Banner."  This  was,  indeed,  a  risky  promise,  as  I  had 
never  heard  the  General  sing.  I  was  greatly  relieved 
by  his  exclamation: 

18 


INTRODUCTION 

"Yes,  I  will  sing  it!" 

And  he  did  sing  the  song  admirably,  the  company 
joining  with  much  enthusiasm. 

As  the  hour  was  late,  and  we  had  enjoyed  quite  a 
number  of  potations  of  hot  Irish  whiskey  punch,  we 
decided  to  go  to  our  lodgings  long  before  the  end  of 
the  revel,  which  appeared  likely  to  last  until  daybreak. 
When  we  descended  to  the  street  we  were  unable  to 
find  a  carriage,  but  Longstreet  proposed  to  be  my 
guide ;  and,  although  the  streets  were  dark  and  the  walk 
a  long  one,  we  reached  my  hotel  in  fairly  good  form. 
Not  wishing  to  be  outdone  in  courtesy,  I  said,— 

"  Longstreet,  the  streets  of  Atlanta  are  very  dark 
and  it  is  very  late,  and  you  are  somewhat  deaf  and 
rather  infirm;  now  I  must  escort  you  to  your  head 
quarters." 

"All  right,"  said  Longstreet;  "come  on  and  we'll 
have  another  handshake  over  the  bloody  chasm." 

When  we  arrived  at  his  stopping-place  and  were 
about  to  separate,  as  I  supposed,  he  turned  to  me  and 

ScllQ, 

"  Sickles,  the  streets  of  Atlanta  are  very  dark  and 
you  are  lame,  and  a  stranger  here,  and  do  not  know 
the  way  back  to  your  hotel ;  I  must  escort  you  home." 

"  Come  along,  Longstreet,"  was  my  answer. 

On  our  way  to  the  hotel,  I  said  to  him,— 

"  Old  fellow,  I  hope  you  are  sorry  for  shooting  off 
my  leg  at  Gettysburg.  I  suppose  I  will  have  to  for 
give  you  for  it  some  day." 

"  Forgive  me?"  Longstreet  exclaimed.  "  You  ought 
to  thank  me  for  leaving  you  one  leg  to  stand  on,  after 
the  mean  way  you  behaved  to  me  at  Gettysburg." 

How  often  we  performed  escort  duty  for  each  other 
on  that  eventful  night  I  have  never  been  able  to  recall 
with  precision;  but  I  am  quite  sure  that  I  shall  never 
forget  St.  Patrick's  Day  in  1892,  at  Atlanta,  Georgia, 

19 


INTRODUCTION 

when  Longstreet  and  I  enjoyed  the  good  Irish  whiskey 
punch  at  the  banquet  of  the  Knights  of  St.  Patrick. 

Afterwards  Longstreet  and  I  met  again,  at  Gettys 
burg,  this  time  as  the  guests  of  John  Russell  Young, 
who  had  invited  a  number  of  his  literary  and  jour 
nalistic  friends  to  join  us  on  the  old  battle-field.  We 
rode  in  the  same  carriage.  When  I  assisted  the  General 
in  climbing  up  the  rocky  face  of  Round  Top,  he  turned 
to  me  and  said, — 

"  Sickles,  you  can  well  afford  to  help  me  up  here 
now,  for  if  you  had  not  kept  me  away  so  long  from 
Round  Top  on  the  2d  of  July,  1863,  the  war  would 
have  lasted  longer  than  it  did,  and  might  have  had  a 
different  ending." 

As  he  said  this,  his  stern,  leonine  face  softened  with  a 
smile  as  sweet  as  a  brother's. 

We  met  in  March,  1901,  at  the  reception  given  to 
President  McKinley  on  his  second  inauguration.  In 
the  midst  of  the  great  throng  assembled  on  that  occa 
sion  Longstreet  and  I  had  quite  a  reception  of  our  own. 
He  was  accompanied  on  this  occasion  by  Mrs.  Long- 
street.  Every  one  admired  the  blended  courtliness  and 
gallantry  of  the  veteran  hero  towards  the  ladies  who 
were  presented  to  him  and  his  charming  wife. 

At  the  West  Point  Centennial  Longstreet  and  I  sat 
together  on  the  dais,  near  President  Roosevelt,  the  Sec 
retary  of  War,  Mr.  Root,  and  the  commander  of  the 
army,  Lieutenant-General  Miles.  Here  among  his 
fellow-graduates  of  the  Military  Academy,  he  received 
a  great  ovation  from  the  vast  audience  that  filled  Cul- 
lum  Hall.  Again  and  again  he  was  cheered,  when  he 
turned  to  me,  exclaiming,— 

"  Sickles,  what  are  they  all  cheering  about?" 
'  They  are  cheering  you,  General,"  was  my  reply. 

Joy  lighted  up  his  countenance,  the  war  was  for 
gotten,  and  Longstreet  was  at  home  once  more  at  West 
Point. 

20 


INTRODUCTION 

Again  we  stood  upon  the  same  platform,  in  Wash 
ington,  on  May  30, — Memorial  Day, — 1902.  Together 
we  reviewed,  with  President  Roosevelt,  the  magnificent 
column  of  Union  veterans  that  marched  past  the  Presi 
dent's  reviewing-stand.  That  evening  Longstreet 
joined  me  in  a  visit  to  a  thousand  or  more  soldiers  of 
the  Third  Army  Corps,  assembled  in  a  tent  near  the 
White  House.  These  veterans,  with  a  multitude  of 
their  comrades,  had  come  to  Washington  to  com 
memorate  another  Memorial  Day  in  the  Capitol  of  the 
Nation.  The  welcome  given  him  by  this  crowd  of  old 
soldiers,  who  had  fought  him  with  all  their  might  again 
and  again,  on  many  battle-fields,  could  hardly  have  been 
more  cordial  if  he  had  found  himself  in  the  midst  of  an 
equal  number  of  his  own  command.  His  speech  to  the 
men  was  felicitous,  and  enthusiastically  cheered.  In  an 
eloquent  peroration  he  said,  "  I  hope  to  live  long  enough 
to  see  my  surviving  comrades  march  side  by  side  with 
the  Union  veterans  along  Pennsylvania  Avenue,  and 
then  I  will  die  happy."  This  was  the  last  time  I  met 
Longstreet. 

Longstreet  was  unjustly  blamed  for  not  attacking 
earlier  in  the  day,  on  July  2,  1863,  at  Gettysburg.  I 
can  answer  that  criticism,  as  I  know  more  about  the 
matter  than  the  critics.  If  he  had  attacked  in  the  morn 
ing,  as  it  is  said  he  should  have  done,  he  would  have 
encountered  Buford's  division  of  cavalry,  five  thousand 
sabres,  on  his  flank,  and  my  corps  would  have  been  in 
his  front,  as  it  was  in  the  afternoon.  In  a  word,  all  the 
troops  that  opposed  Longstreet  in  the  afternoon,  in 
cluding  the  Fifth  Army  Corps  and  Caldwell's  division 
of  the  Second  Corps,  would  have  been  available  on  the 
left  flank  of  the  Union  army  in  the  morning.  Every 
regiment  and  every  battery  that  fired  a  shot  in  the 
afternoon  was  on  the  field  in  the  morning,  and  would 

have  resisted  an  assault  in  the  morning  as  stubbornly 

21 


INTRODUCTION 

as  in  the  afternoon.  Moreover,  if  the  assault  had  been 
made  in  the  morning,  Law's  strong  brigade  of  Ala- 
bamians  could  not  have  assisted  in  the  attack,  as  they 
did  not  arrive  on  the  field  until  noon.  On  the  other 
hand,  if  Lee  had  waited  an  hour  later,  I  would  have 
been  on  Cemetery  Ridge,  in  compliance  with  General 
Meade's  orders,  and  Longstreet  could  have  marched, 
unresisted,  from  Seminary  Ridge  to  the  foot  of  Round 
Top,  and  might,  perhaps,  have  unlimbered  his  guns  on 
the  summit. 

General  Meade's  telegram  to  Halleck,  dated  3  P.M., 
July  2,  does  not  indicate  that  Lee  was  then  about  to 
attack  him.  At  the  time  that  despatch  was  sent,  a 
council  of  corps  commanders  was  assembled  at  General 
Meade's  head-quarters.  It  was  broken  up  by  the  sound 
of  Longstreet's  artillery.  The  probability  is  that  Long- 
street's  attack  held  the  Union  army  at  Gettysburg.  If 
Longstreet  had  waited  until  a  later  hour,  the  Union 
army  might  have  been  moving  towards  Pipe  Creek,  the 
position  chosen  by  General  Meade  on  June  30. 

The  best  proof  that  Lee  was  not  dissatisfied  with 
Longstreet's  movements  on  July  2  is  the  fact  that 
Longstreet  was  intrusted  with  the  command  of  the 
column  of  attack  on  July  3, — Lee's  last  hope  at  Gettys 
burg.  Of  the  eleven  brigades  that  assaulted  the  Union 
left  centre  on  July  3,  only  three  of  them — Pickett's  di 
vision — belonged  to  Longstreet's  corps,  the  other  eight 
brigades  belonged  to  Hill's  corps.  If  Longstreet  had 
disappointed  Lee  on  July  2,  why  would  Lee,  on  the 
next  day,  give  Longstreet  a  command  of  supreme  im 
portance,  of  which  more  than  two-thirds  of  the  troops 
were  taken  from  another  corps  commander? 

Longstreet  did  not  look  for  success  on  July  3.  He 
told  General  Lee  that  "  the  fifteen  thousand  men  who 
could  make  a  successful  assault  over  that  field  had  never 
been  arrayed  for  battle,"  and  yet  the  command  was 

22 


INTRODUCTION 

given  to  Longstreet.  Why?  Because  the  confidence 
of  Lee  in  Longstreet  was  unshaken;  because  he  re 
garded  Longstreet  as  his  most  capable  lieutenant. 

Longstreet  was  never  censured  for  the  failure  of  the 
assault  on  July  3,  although  General  Lee  intimates,  in 
his  official  report,  that  it  was  not  made  as  early  in  the 
day  as  was  expected.  Why,  then,  is  Longstreet  blamed 
by  them  for  the  failure  on  July  2,  when  no  fault  was 
found  by  General  Lee  with  Longstreet's  dispositions 
on  that  day?  The  failure  of  both  assaults  must  be  at 
tributed  to  insurmountable  obstacles,  which  no  com 
mander  could  have  overcome  with  the  force  at  Long- 
street's  disposal, — seventeen  thousand  men  on  July  2, 
and  fifteen  thousand  men  on  July  3,  against  thirty 
thousand  adversaries ! 

In  General  Lee's  official  report  not  a  word  appears 
about  any  delay  in  Longstreet's  movements  on  July  2, 
although,  referring  to  the  assault  of  July  3,  General 
Lee  says,  "  General  Longstreet's  dispositions  were  not 
completed  as  early  as  was  expected."  If  General  Lee 
did  not  hesitate  to  point  out  unlocked  for  delay  on 
July  3,  why  was  he  silent  about  delay  on  July  2?  His 
silence  about  delay  on  July  2  implies  that  there  was 
none  on  July  2.  Expresio  unius  exclusio  alterius. 

General  Lee  says,  in  his  report,  referring  to  July  3, — 

"  General  Longstreet  was  delayed  by  a  force  occupying  the 
high,  rocky  hills  on  the  enemy's  extreme  left,  from  which  his 
troops  could  be  attacked  in  reverse  as  they  advanced.  His 
operations  had  been  embarrassed  the  day  previous  by  the  same 
cause,  and  he  now  deemed  it  necessary  to  defend  his  flank  and 
rear  with  the  divisions  of  Hood  and  McLaws." 

Another  embarrassment  prevented  an  earlier  attack 
on  July  2.  It  was  the  plan  of  General  Lee  to  surprise 
the  left  flank  of  the  Union  army.  General  Lee  ordered 
Captain  Johnson,  the  engineer  officer  of  his  staff,  to 

23 


INTRODUCTION 

conduct  Longstreet's  column  by  a  route  concealed  from 
the  enemy.  But  the  formation  and  movements  of  the 
attacking  column  had  been  discovered  by  my  recon- 
noisance;  this  exposure  put  an  end  to  any  chance  of 
surprise.  Other  dispositions  became  necessary;  fresh 
orders  from  head-quarters  were  asked  for;  another  line 
of  advance  had  to  be  found,  less  exposed  to  view.  All 
this  took  time.  These  circumstances  were,  of  course, 
known  to  General  Lee;  hence  he  saw  no  reason  to 
reproach  Longstreet  for  delay. 

The  situation  on  the  left  flank  of  the  Union  army  was 
entirely  changed  by  my  advance  to  the  Emmitsburg 
road.  Fitzhugh  Lee  says,  "  Lee  was  deceived  by  it  and 
gave  orders  to  attack  up  the  Emmitsburg  road,  par 
tially  enveloping  the  enemy's  left;  there  was  much 
behind  Sickles."  The  obvious  purpose  of  my  advance 
was  to  hold  Lee's  force  in  check  until  General  Meade 
could  bring  his  reserves  from  his  right  flank,  at  Rock 
Creek,  to  the  Round  Tops,  on  the  left.  Fortunately 
for  me,  General  Lee  believed  that  my  line  from  the 
Peach-Orchard  north — about  a  division  front — was  all 
Longstreet  would  have  to  deal  with.  Longstreet  soon 
discovered  that  my  left  rested  beyond  Devil's  Den,  about 
twelve  hundred  yards  easterly  from  the  Emmitsburg 
road,  and  at  a  right  angle  to  it.  Of  course,  Longstreet 
could  not  push  forward  to  Lee's  objective, — the  Em 
mitsburg  road  ridge, — leaving  this  force  on  his  flank 
and  rear,  to  take  him  in  reverse.  An  obstinate  conflict 
followed,  which  detained  Longstreet  until  the  Fifth 
Corps,  which  had  been  in  reserve  on  the  Union  right, 
moved  to  the  left  and  got  into  position  on  the  Round 
Tops.  Thus  it  happened  that  my  salient  at  the  Peach- 
Orchard,  on  the  Emmitsburg  road,  was  not  attacked 
until  six  o'clock,  the  troops  on  my  line,  from  the  Em 
mitsburg  road  to  the  Devil's  Den,  having  held  their 
positions  until  that  hour.  The  surprise  Lee  had  planned 

24 


INTRODUCTION 

was  turned  upon  himself.  The  same  thing  would  have 
happened  if  Longstreet  had  attacked  in  the  morning; 
all  the  troops  that  resisted  Longstreet  in  the  afternoon 
— say  thirty  thousand — would  have  opposed  him  in  the 
forenoon. 

The  alignment  of  the  Union  forces  on  the  left  flank 
at  11  A.M.,  when  Lee  gave  his  preliminary  orders  to 
Longstreet  for  the  attack,  was  altogether  different 
from  the  dispositions  made  by  me  at  3  P.M.,  when  the 
attack  was  begun.  At  eleven  in  the  morning  my  com 
mand  was  on  Cemetery  Ridge,  to  the  left  of  Hancock. 
At  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  anticipating  General 
Lee's  attack,  I  changed  front,  deploying  my  left  di 
vision  (Birney's)  from  Plum  Run,  near  the  base  of 
Little  Round  Top,  to  the  Peach-Orchard,  at  the  inter 
section  of  Millerstown  and  Emmitsburg  roads.  My 
right  division  ( Humphrey's )  was  moved  forward  to  the 
Emmitsburg  road,  its  left  connecting  with  Birney  at 
the  Orchard,  and  its  right  en  echelon  with  Hancock, 
parallel  with  the  Codori  House. 

Longstreet  was  ordered  to  conceal  his  column  of  at 
tack,  for  which  the  ground  on  Lee's  right  afforded  ex 
cellent  opportunities.  Lee's  plan  was  a  repetition  of 
Jackson's  attack  on  the  right  flank  of  the  Union  army 
at  Chancellors  ville.  In  the  afternoon,  however,  in  view 
of  the  advance  of  my  corps,  General  Lee  was  obliged 
to  form  a  new  plan  of  battle.  As  he  believed  that  both 
of  my  flanks  rested  on  the  Emmitsburg  road,  Lee  di 
rected  Longstreet  to  envelop  my  left  at  the  Peach- 
Orchard,  and  press  the  attack  northward  "up  the 
Emmitsburg  road." 

Colonel  Fairfax,  of  Longstreet's  staff,  says  that  Lee 
and  Longstreet  were  together  at  three  o'clock,  when 
the  attack  began.  Lieutenant-General  Hill,  com 
manding  the  First  Corps  of  Lee's  army,  says  in  his 
report, — 

25 


INTRODUCTION 

"  The  corps  of  General  Longstreet  (McLaws's  and  Hood's 
divisions)  was  on  my  right,  and  in  a  line  very  nearly  at  right 
angles  to  mine.  General  Longstreet  was  to  attack  the  left  flank 
of  the  enemy,  and  sweep  down  his  line,  and  I  was  ordered  to 
co-operate  with  him  with  such  of  my  brigades  from  the  right 
as  could  join  in  with  his  troops  in  the  attack.  On  the  extreme 
right,  Hood  commenced  the  attack  about  two  o'clock,  McLaws 
about  5.30  o'clock." 

Longstreet  was  not  long  in  discovering,  by  his  artil 
lery  practice,  that  my  position  at  the  Peach-Orchard 
was  a  salient,  and  that  my  left  flank  really  rested  twelve 
hundred  yards  eastward,  at  Plum  Run,  in  the  valley 
between  Little  Round  Top  and  the  Devil's  Den,  con 
cealed  from  observation  by  woods ;  my  line  extended  to 
the  high  ground  along  the  Emmitsburg  road,  from 
which  Lee  says,  "  It  was  thought  our  artillery  could  be 
used  to  advantage  in  assailing  the  more  elevated  ground 
beyond." 

General  J.  B.  Hood's  story  of  his  part  in  the  battle 
of  July  2,  taken  from  a  communication  addressed  to 
General  Longstreet,  which  appears  in  Hood's  "  Ad 
vance  and  Retreat,"  pages  57-59,  is  a  clear  narrative 
of  the  movements  of  Longstreet's  assaulting  column. 
It  emphasizes  the  firm  adherence  of  Longstreet  to  the 
orders  of  General  Lee.  Again  and  again,  as  Hood 
plainly  points  out,  Longstreet  refused  to  listen  to 
Hood's  appeal  for  leave  to  turn  Round  Top  and  assail 
the  Union  rear,  always  replying,  "  General  Lee's  orders 
are  to  attack  up  the  Emmitsburg  road."  * 

*  Hood  says,  "  As  soon  as  I  arrived  upon  the  Emmitsburg  road  I  placed 
one  or  two  batteries  in  position  and  opened  fire.  A  reply  from  the  enemy's 
guns  soon  developed  his  lines.  His  left  rested  on  or  near  Round  Top,  with 
line  bending  back  and  again  forward,  forming,  as  it  were,  a  concave  line, 
as  approached  by  the  Emmitsburg  road.  A  considerable  body  of  troops 
was  posted  in  front  of  their  main  line,  between  the  Emmitsburg  road  and 
Round  Top  Mountain.  This  force  was  in  line  of  battle  upon  an  eminence 
near  a  peach-orchard. 

"  I  found  that  in  making  the  attack  according  to  orders, — viz.,  up  the 

26 


INTRODUCTION 

These   often   repeated   orders   of   General   Lee   to 
"  attack  up  the  Emmitsburg  road"  could  not  have  been 

Emmitsburg  road, — I  should  have  first  to  encounter  and  drive  off  this 
advanced  line  of  battle;  secondly,  at  the  base  and  along  the  slope  of  the 
mountain,  to  confront  immense  boulders  of  stone,  so  massed  together  as 
to  form  narrow  openings,  which  would  break  our  ranks  and  cause  the  men 
to  scatter  whilst  climbing  up  the  rocky  precipice.  I  found,  moreover,  that 
my  division  would  be  exposed  to  a  heavy  fire  from  the  main  line  of  the 
enemy  in  position  on  the  crest  of  the  high  range,  of  which  Round  Top  was 
the  extreme  left,  and,  by  reason  of  the  concavity  of  the  enemy's  main  line, 
that  we  would  be  subject  to  a  destructive  fire  in  flank  and  rear,  as  well  as 
in  the  front;  and  deemed  it  almost  an  impossibility  to  clamber  along  the 
boulders  up  this  steep  and  rugged  mountain,  and,  under  this  number  of 
cross  fires,  put  the  enemy  to  flight.  I  knew  that  if  the  feat  was  accom 
plished,  it  must  be  at  a  most  fearful  sacrifice  of  as  brave  and  gallant 
soldiers  as  ever  engaged  in  battle. 

"  I  considered  it  my  duty  to  report  to  you  at  once  my  opinion  that  it 
was  unwise  to  attack  up  the  Emmitsburg  road,  as  ordered,  and  to  urge 
that  you  allow  me  to  turn  Round  Top  and  attack  the  enemy  in  flank  and 
rear.  Accordingly,  I  despatched  a  staff-officer,  bearing  to  you  my  request 
to  be  allowed  to  make  the  proposed  movement  on  account  of  the  above 
stated  reasons.  Your  reply  was  quickly  received :  '  General  Lee's  orders 
are  to  attack  up  the  Emmitsburg  road.'  I  sent  another  officer  to  say  that 
I  feared  nothing  could  be  accomplished  by  such  an  attack,  and  renewed  my 
request  to  turn  Round  Top.  Again  your  answer  was,  '  General  Lee's  orders 
are  to  attack  up  the  Emmitsburg  road.'  During  this  interim  I  had  con 
tinued  the  use  of  the  batteries  upon  the  enemy,  and  had  become  more  and 
more  convinced  that  the  Federal  line  extended  to  Round  Top,  and  that  I 
could  not  reasonably  hope  to  accomplish  much  by  the  attack  as  ordered. 
In  fact,  it  seemed  to  me  the  enemy  occupied  a  position  by  nature  so  strong 
— I  may  say  impregnable — that,  independently  of  their  flank  fire,  they  could 
easily  repel  our  attack  by  merely  throwing  and  rolling  stones  down  the 
mountain-side,  as  we  approached. 

"A  third  time  I  despatched  one  of  my  staff  to  explain  fully  in  regard 
to  the  situation,  and  suggest  that  you  had  better  come  and  look  for  your 
self.  I  selected,  in  this  instance,  my  adjutant-general,  Colonel  Harry 
Sellers,  whom  you  know  to  be  not  only  an  officer  of  great  courage,  but  also 
of  marked  ability.  Colonel  Sellers  returned  with  the  same  message:  'Gen 
eral  Lee's  orders  are  to  attack  up  the  Emmitsburg  road.'  Almost  simul 
taneously,  Colonel  Fairfax,  of  your  staff,  rode  up  and  repeated  the  above 
orders. 

"After  this  urgent  protest  against  entering  the  battle  of  Gettysburg, 
according  to  my  instructions, — which  protest  is  the  first  and  only  one  I 
ever  made  during  my  entire  military  career, — I  ordered  my  line  to  advance 
and  make  the  assault. 

"  As  my  troops  were  moving  forward,  you  rode  up  in  person ;  a  brief 
conversation  passed  between  us,  during  which  I  again  expressed  the  fears 
above  mentioned,  and  regret  at  not  being  allowed  to  attack  in  flank  around 
Round  Top.  You  answered  to  this  effect :  '  We  must  obey  the  orders  of 

27 


INTRODUCTION 

given  until  near  three  in  the  afternoon  of  July  2,  be 
cause  before  that  hour  there  was  no  Union  line  of 
battle  on  the  Emmitsburg  road.  There  had  been  only 
a  few  of  my  pickets  there  in  the  morning,  thrown  for 
ward  by  the  First  Massachusetts  Infantry.  It  dis 
tinctly  appears  that  Lee  rejected  Longstreet's  plan  to 
turn  the  Federal  left  on  Cemetery  Ridge.  And  Hood 
makes  it  plain  enough  that  Longstreet  refused  to  listen 
to  Hood's  appeal  for  permission  to  turn  Round  Top, 
on  the  main  Federal  line,  always  replying,  "  No ;  Gen 
eral  Lee's  orders  are  to  attack  up  the  Emmitsburg 
road."  Of  course,  that  plan  of  battle  was  not  formed 
until  troops  had  been  placed  in  positions  commanding 
that  road.  This,  we  have  seen,  was  not  done  until 
towards  three  in  the  afternoon. 

The  only  order  of  battle  announced  by  General  Lee 
on  July  2  of  which  there  is  any  record  was  to  assail 
my  position  on  the  Emmitsburg  road,  turn  my  left 
flank  (which  he  erroneously  supposed  to  rest  on  the 
Peach-Orchard),  and  sweep  the  attack  "up  the  Em 
mitsburg  road."  This  was  impossible  until  I  occupied 
that  road,  and  it  was  then  that  Longstreet's  artillery 
began  its  practice  on  my  advanced  line. 

I  am  unable  to  see  how  any  just  person  can  charge 
Longstreet  with  deviation  from  the  orders  of  General 
Lee  on  July  2.  It  is  true  enough  that  Longstreet  had 
advised  different  tactics ;  but  he  was  a  soldier, — a  West 
Pointer, — and  once  he  had  indicated  his  own  views,  he 

General  Lee.'  I  then  rode  forward  with  my  line  under  a  heavy  fire.  In 
about  twenty  minutes  after  reaching  the  Peach-Orchard  I  was  severely 
wounded  in  the  arm  and  borne  from  the  field. 

"  With  this  wound  terminated  my  participation  in  this  great  battle.  As 
I  was  borne  off  on  a  litter  to  the  rear,  I  could  but  experience  deep  distress 
of  mind  and  heart  at  the  thought  of  the  inevitable  fate  of  my  brave  fellow- 
soldiers,  who  formed  one  of  the  grandest  divisions  of  that  world-renowned 
army;  and  I  shall  ever  believe  that  had  I  been  permitted  to  turn  Round 
Top  Mountain,  we  would  not  only  have  gained  that  position,  but  have  been 
able  finally  to  rout  the  enemy." 

SB 


INTRODUCTION 

obeyed  the  orders  of  the  general  commanding, — he  did 
not  even  exercise  the  discretion  allowed  to  the  chief  of 
a  corps  d'armee,  which  permits  him  to  modify  instruc 
tions  when  an  unforeseen  emergency  imposes  fresh 
responsibilities,  or  when  an  unlooked-for  opportunity 
offers  tempting  advantages. 

We  have  seen  that  many  circumstances  required 
General  Lee  to  modify  his  plans  and  orders  on  July  2 
between  daybreak,  when  his  first  reconnoisance  was 
made,  and  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  when  my 
advanced  position  was  defined.  We  have  seen  that  if 
a  morning  attack  had  been  made  the  column  would 
have  encountered  Buford's  strong  division  of  cavalry 
on  its  flank,  and  that  it  would  have  been  weakened  by 
the  absence  of  Law's  brigade  of  Hood's  division.  We 
have  seen  that  Longstreet,  even  in  the  afternoon,  when 
Law  had  come  up  and  Buford  had  been  sent  to  West 
minster,  was  still  too  weak  to  contend  against  the  re 
inforcements  sent  against  him.  We  have  seen  that 
Lee  was  present  all  day  on  July  2,  and  that  his  own 
staff -officer  led  the  column  of  attack.  We  have  seen 
that  General  Lee,  in  his  official  report,  gives  no  hint 
of  dissatisfaction  with  Longstreet's  conduct  of  the  bat 
tle  of  July  2,  nor  does  it  appear  that  Longstreet  was 
ever  afterwards  criticised  by  Lee.  On  the  contrary, 
Lee  points  out  that  the  same  danger  to  Longstreet's 
flank,  which  required  the  protection  of  two  divisions 
on  July  3,  existed  on  July  2,  when  his  flank  was 
unsupported.  We  have  seen  that  again  and  again, 
when  Hood  appealed  to  Longstreet  for  leave  to  swing 
his  column  to  the  right  and  turn  the  Round  Tops, 
Longstreet  as  often  refused,  always  saying,  "  No; 
General  Lee's  orders  are  to  attack  up  the  Emmitsburg 
road."  The  conclusion  is  irrefutable,  that  whilst  the 
operations  were  directed  with  signal  ability  and  sus 
tained  by  heroic  courage,  the  failure  of  both  assaults, 

29 


INTRODUCTION 

that  of  July  2  and  the  other  of  July  3,  must  be  at 
tributed  to  the  lack  of  strength  in  the  columns  of  attack 
on  both  days,  for  which  the  commanding  general  alone 
was  responsible. 

It  was  Longstreet's  good  fortune  to  live  until  he  saw 
his  country  hold  a  high  place  among  the  great  powers 
of  the  world.  He  saw  the  new  South  advancing  in 
prosperity,  hand  in  hand  with  the  North,  East,  and 
West.  He  saw  his  people  in  the  ranks  of  our  army,  in 
Cuba,  Porto  Rico,  the  Philippines,  China,  and  Panama ; 
he  saw  the  Union  stars  and  the  blue  uniform  worn  by 
Fitzhugh  Lee,  and  Butler,  and  Wheeler.  He  witnessed 
the  fulfilment  of  his  prediction, — that  the  hearty  re 
union  of  the  North  and  South  would  advance  the  wel 
fare  of  both.  He  lived  long  enough  to  rejoice  with  all 
of  us  in  a  reunited  nation,  and  to  know  that  his  name 
was  honored  wherever  the  old  flag  was  unfurled.  His 
fame  as  a  soldier  belongs  to  all  Americans. 

Farewell,  Longstreet!  I  shall  follow  you  very  soon. 
May  we  meet  in  the  happy  realm  where  strife  is  un 
known  and  friendship  is  eternal! 


so 


LEE    AND    LONGSTREET 
AT  HIGH  TIDE 


CHAPTER   I 

THE   STORY   OF  GETTYSBURG 

Back  of  the  day  that  opened  so  auspiciously  for  the  Confederate 
cause  at  the  first  Manassas,  and  of  the  four  years  that  followed, 
lies  Longstreet's  record  of  a  quarter  of  a  century  in  the  Union  army, 
completing  one  of  the  most  lustrous  pages  in  the  world's  war  history. 
That  page  cannot  be  dimmed  or  darkened;  it  rests  secure  in  its  own 
white  splendor,  above  the  touch  of  detractors. 

THE  detractors  of  General  Longstreet's  military  in 
tegrity  assert  that,  being  opposed  to  fighting  an  offen 
sive  battle  at  Gettysburg,  he  was  "  balky  and  stubborn" 
in  executing  Lee's  orders;  that  he  disobeyed  the  com 
manding  general's  orders  to  attack  at  sunrise  on  the 
morning  of  July  2;  that,  again  ordered  to  attack  with 
half  the  army  on  the  morning  of  July  3,  his  culpably 
slow  attack  with  only  Pickett's  division,  supported  by 
some  of  Hill's  troops,  caused  the  fatal  Confederate  de 
feat  in  that  encounter. 

General  Gordon  has  seen  fit,  in  a  recent  publication, 
to  revive  this  cruel  aspersion. 

When  General  Longstreet  surrendered  his  sword  at 
Appomattox  his  war  record  was  made  up.  It  stands 
unassailable — needing  no  defenders.  Back  of  the  day 

31 


LEE   AND   LONGSTREET  AT   HlGH   TlDE 

that  opened  so  auspiciously  for  the  Confederate  cause 
at  the  first  Manassas,  and  of  the  four  years  that  fol 
lowed,  lies  the  record  of  a  quarter  of  a  century  in  the 
Union  army. 

In  those  times  General  Longstreet,  at  Cerro  Gordo, 
Molino  del  Rey,  and  Chapultepec,  was  aiding  to  win 
the  great  empire  of  the  West ;  in  subsequent  hard  Indian 
campaigns  lighting  the  fagots  of  a  splendid  western 
civilization,  adding  new  glory  to  American  arms  and,  in 
the  struggles  of  a  nation  that  fell,  a  new  star  of  the  first 
magnitude  to  the  galaxy  of  American  valor,  completing 
one  of  the  most  lustrous  pages  in  the  world's  war  his 
tory.  That  page  cannot  be  dimmed  or  darkened;  it 
rests  secure  in  its  own  white  splendor,  above  the  touch 
of  detractors. 

General  Longstreet  has  of  late  years  deemed  it  un 
necessary  to  make  defence  of  his  military  integrity,  save 
such  as  may  be  found  in  his  memoirs,  "  Manassas  to 
Appomattox,"  published  nearly  ten  years  since.  He 
has  held  that  his  deeds  stand  on  the  impartial  pages  of 
the  nation's  records — their  own  defender. 

The  cold  historian  of  our  Civil  War  of  a  hundred 
years  hence  will  not  go  for  truth  to  the  picturesque 
reminiscences  of  General  John  B.  Gordon,  nor  to  the 
pyrotechnics  of  General  Fitzhugh  Lee,  nor  yet  to  the 
somewhat  hysterical  ravings  of  Rev.  Mr.  Pendleton 
and  scores  of  other  modern  essayists  who  have  sought 
to  fix  the  failure  of  Gettysburg  upon  General  Long- 
street.  The  coming  chronicler  will  cast  aside  the  rubbish 
of  passion  and  hate  that  followed  the  war,  and  have 
recourse  to  the  nation's  official  war  records,  and  in  the 
cool,  calm  lights  of  the  letters  and  reports  of  the  par 
ticipants,  written  at  the  time,  will  place  the  blunder  of 
Gettysburg  where  it  belongs.  Longstreet's  fame  has 
nothing  to  fear  in  that  hour. 

But  for  the  benefit  of  the  present — of  the  young,  the 

32 


THE  STORY  OF  GETTYSBURG 

busy,  who  have  neither  time  nor  inclination  to  study  the 
records,  and  for  that  sentiment  that  is  increasingly 
shaped  by  the  public  press, — for  these  and  other  reasons 
it  appears  fitting  that  in  this  hour  historical  truth  should 
have  a  spokesman  on  the  Gettysburg  contentions.  In 
the  absence  of  one  more  able  to  speak,  this  little  story 
of  the  truth  is  written.  The  writer  belongs  to  a  genera 
tion  that  has  come  up  since  the  gloom  of  Appomattox 
closed  the  drama  of  the  great  "  Lost  Cause"  of 
American  history — a  generation  that  seeks  the  truth, 
unwarped  and  undistorted  by  passion,  and  can  face  the 
truth. 

In  the  prosecution  of  my  researches  for  the  origin  of 
the  extraordinary  calumnies  aimed  at  General  Long- 
street's  honor  as  a  soldier,  two  most  significant  facts 
have  continually  pressed  upon  my  attention. 

First,  not  one  word  appears  to  have  been  published 
openly  accusing  him  of  disobedience  at  Gettysburg 
until  the  man  who  could  forever  have  silenced  all  criti 
cism  was  in  his  grave — until  the  knightly  soul  of  Robert 
Edward  Lee  had  passed  into  eternity. 

Second,  General  Longstreet's  operations  on  the  field 
of  Gettysburg  were  above  the  suspicion  of  reproach 
until  he  came  under  the  political  ban  in  the  South,  for 
meeting  in  the  proper  spirit,  as  he  saw  it,  the  require 
ments  of  good  citizenship  in  the  observance  of  his  Appo 
mattox  parole,  and,  after  the  removal  of  his  political 
disabilities,  for  having  accepted  office  at  the  hands  of  a 
Republican  President  who  happened  to  be  his  old  West 
Point  comrade, — Grant. 

Then  the  storm  broke.  He  was  heralded  as  traitor, 
deserter  of  his  people,  deserter  of  Democracy,  etc.  In 
the  fury  of  this  onslaught  originated  the  cruel  slander 
that  he  had  disobeyed  Lee's  most  vital  orders,  causing 
the  loss  of  the  Gettysburg  battle  and  the  ultimate  fall 
of  the  Confederate  cause.  Most  singularly,  this  strange 

3  S3 


LEE   AND   LONGSTREET   AT   HlGH    TlDE 

discovery  was  not  made  until  some  years  after  the  battle 
and  General  Lee's  death.  Thereafter  for  two  decades 
the  South  was  sedulously  taught  to  believe  that  the  Fed 
eral  victory  was  wholly  the  fortuitous  outcome  of  the 
culpable  disobedience  of  General  Longstreet. 

The  sectional  complaint  that  he  deserted  "  Democ 
racy"  is  about  as  relevant  and  truthful  as  the  assertion 
that  he  lost  Gettysburg.  He  was  a  West  Pointer,  a 
professional  soldier.  He  had  never  cast  a  ballot  before 
the  Civil  War;  he  had  no  politics.  Its  passions  and 
prejudices  had  no  dwelling-place  in  his  mind.  The  war 
was  over,  and  he  quietly  accepted  the  result,  frater 
nizing  with  all  Americans.  It  was  no  great  crime. 

But  the  peculiar  circumstances  favored  an  opportu 
nity  to  make  Longstreet  the  long-desired  scape-goat  for 
Gettysburg.  There  was  an  ulterior  and  deeper  pur 
pose,  however,  than  merely  besmirching  his  military 
record.  Short-sighted  partisans  seemingly  argued  that 
the  disparagement  of  Longstreet  was  necessary  to  save 
the  military  reputation  of  Lee.  But  Lee's  great  fame 
needed  no  such  sacrifice. 

The  outrageous  charges  against  Longstreet  have 
been  wholly  disproved.  Much  of  the  partisan  rancor 
that  once  pursued  him  has  died  out.  Many  of  the  more 
intelligent  Southerners  have  been  long  convinced  that 
he  was  the  victim  of  a  great  wrong. 

It  was  unworthy  of  Major-General  John  B.  Gordon, 
once  of  the  army  of  Northern  Virginia,  to  revive  this 
dead  controversy.  He  simply  reiterates  the  old  charges 
in  full,  produces  no  evidence  in  their  support,  and  gra 
tuitously  endorses  a  false  and  cruel  verdict.  His  con 
tribution  is  of  no  historical  value.  It  carries  inherent 
evidence  that  General  Gordon  made  no  critical  examina 
tion  of  the  documentary  history  of  Gettysburg.  He 
assumes  to  render  a  verdict  on  the  say-so  of  others. 

Gordon's  unsupported  assertions  would  require  no 


34 


THE  STORY  OF  GETTYSBURG 

attention  but  for  one  fact.  Both  South  and  North 
there  is  a  widespread  impression  that  Gordon  was  a 
conspicuous  figure  at  Gettysburg.  This  is  erroneous. 
He  was  merely  a  brigade  commander  there,  stationed 
five  miles  from  Longstreet.  It  is  not  certain  that  he 
personally  saw  either  Lee  or  Longstreet  while  the  army 
was  in  Pennsylvania. 

In  his  official  report  Gordon  uses  this  language  re 
garding  the  operations  of  his  own  small  command  at 
Gettysburg  when  the  heaviest  fighting  was  going  on, 
finely  showing  the  scope  of  his  opportunities  for  obser 
vation  : 

"  The  movements  during  the  succeeding  days  of  the  battle, 
July  2  and  3,  I  do  not  consider  of  sufficient  importance  to 
mention." 

It  is  but  just  to  Gordon,  however,  to  say  that  in  his 
subordinate  capacity  at  the  head  of  one  of  the  thirty- 
seven  brigades  of  infantry  comprising  Lee's  army,  he 
performed  excellent  service  on  the  first  day's  battle. 
But  in  estimating  his  value  as  a  personal  witness,  the 
foregoing  undisputed  facts  must  be  taken  into  consid 
eration.  His  testimony  is  obviously  of  the  hearsay  kind. 
In  fact,  as  will  be  observed  from  his  own  admission,  it 
is  no  more  than  his  own  personal  conclusions,  wholly 
deduced  from  the  assertions  of  others,  based  on  an 
assumed  state  of  facts  which  did  not  exist. 

In  his  recent  publication,  "  Reminiscences  of  the  Civil 
War,"  Gordon  says,— 

"  It  now  seems  certain  that  impartial  military  critics,  after 
thorough  investigation,  will  consider  the  following  facts  estab 
lished  : 

"  First,  that  General  Lee  distinctly  ordered  Longstreet  to  at 
tack  early  on  the  morning  of  the  second  day,  and  if  Longstreet 
had  done  so  two  of  the  largest  corps  of  Meade's  army  would 

not  have  been  in  the  fight;    but  Longstreet  delayed  the  fight 

35 


LEE  AND   LONGSTREET  AT   HlGH    TlDE 

until  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  thus  lost  his  opportunity 
of  occupying  Little  Round  Top,  the  key  of  the  position,  which 
he  might  have  done  in  the  morning  without  firing  a  shot  or 
losing  a  man." 

It  is  competent  to  point  out  that  Longstreet's  orders 
from  General  Lee  were  "  to  move  around  to  gain  the 
Emmitsburg  road,  on  the  enemy's  left."  In  short,  he 
was  "  to  attack  up  the  Emmitsburg  road,"  as  all  the 
authorities  agree.  He  therefore  could  not  well 
"  occupy"  Little  Round  Top  up  the  Emmitsburg  road, 
because  it  was  but  a  fraction  less  than  a  mile  to  the  east 
of  that  road.  It  is  as  clear  as  noonday  that  Lee  had  no 
thought  at  first,  if  ever,  that  Little  Round  Top  was  the 
"  key  to  the  position."  Lee  merely  contemplated 
driving  the  enemy  from  some  high  ground  on  the  Em 
mitsburg  road  from  which  the  "  more  elevated  ground" 
of  Cemetery  Hill  in  its  rear,  more  than  a  mile  to  the 
northward  of  Little  Round  Top,  could  be  subsequently 
assailed. 

Lee's  luminous  report  of  the  battle,  dated  July  31, 
1863,  only  four  weeks  after,  has  escaped  Gordon's 
notice,  or  has  been  conveniently  ignored  by  him.  It  is 
found  at  page  305  et  seq.f  of  Part  II.,  Vol.  XXVII., 
of  the  printed  War  Records,  easily  accessible  to  every 
body.  At  page  308,  Lee's  report: 

"...  In  front  of  General  Longstreet  the  enemy  held  a  posi 
tion  from  which,  if  he  could  be  driven,  it  was  thought  our  artil 
lery  could  be  used  to  advantage  in  assailing  the  more  elevated 
ground  beyond,  and  thus  enable  us  to  reach  the  crest  of  the 
ridge.  That  officer  was  directed  to  carry  this  position.  .  .  . 
After  a  severe  struggle,  Longstreet  succeeded  in  getting  posses 
sion  of  and  holding  the  desired  ground.  .  .  .  The  battle  ceased 
at  dark." 

The  "  desired  ground"  captured  was  that  held  by 
Sickles's  Federal  Third  Corps,— the  celebrated  peach- 

36 


THE  STORY  OF  GETTYSBURG 

orchard,  wheat-field,  and  adjacent  high  ground,  from 
which  Cemetery  Hill  was  next  day  assailed  by  the 
Confederate  artillery  as  a  prelude  to  Pickett's  infantry 
assault. 

It  was  the  "  crest  of  the  ridge,"  not  the  Round  Top, 
that  Lee  wished  to  assail.  His  eye  from  the  first  ap 
pears  to  have  been  steadily  fixed  upon  the  Federal 
centre.  That  is  why  he  ordered  the  "  attack  up  the  Em- 
mitsburg  road." 

Longstreet's  official  report  is  very  explicit  on  this 
point.  It  was  written  July  27,  1863.  On  page  358  of 
the  same  book  he  says, — 

"  I  received  instructions  from  the  commanding  general  to 
move,  with  the  portion  of  my  command  that  was  up,  around  to 
gain  the  Emmitsburg  road,  on  the  enemy's  left." 

Lieutenant-General  R.  H.  Anderson,  then  of  Hill's 
corps,  also  makes  this  definite  statement: 

"  Shortly  after  the  line  had  been  formed,  I  received  notice 
that  Lieutenant-General  Longstreet  would  occupy  the  ground 
on  my  right,  and  that  his  line  would  be  in  a  direction  nearly  at 
right  angles  with  mine,  and  that  he  would  assault  the  extreme 
left  of  the  enemy  and  drive  him  towards  Gettysburg." 

Just  here  it  is  pertinent  to  say  that  General  Long- 
street  had  the  afternoon  previous,  and  again  that  morn 
ing,  suggested  to  General  Lee  the  more  promising  plan 
of  a  movement  by  the  Confederate  right  to  interpose 
between  the  Federals  and  their  capital,  and  thus  compel 
General  Meade  to  give  battle  at  a  disadvantage.  On 
this  point  General  Longstreet  uses  the  following  lan 
guage  in  a  newspaper  publication  *  more  than  a  quarter 
of  a  century  ago : 

*  "  The  Campaign  of  Gettysburg,"  by  Lieutenant-General  James  Long- 
street.  One  of  a  series  of  papers  on  the  Civil  War  by  different  dis 
tinguished  participants,  both  Union  and  Confederate,  in  Colonel  A.  K. 
McClure's  Philadelphia  Weekly  Times,  1877. 

37 


LEE   AND   LONGSTREET   AT   HlGH    TlDE 

"  When  I  overtook  General  Lee  at  five  o'clock  that  afternoon 
[July  1],  he  said,  to  my  surprise,  that  he  thought  of  attacking 
General  Meade  upon  the  heights  the  next  day.  I  suggested  that 
this  course  seemed  to  be  at  variance  with  the  plan  of  the  cam 
paign  that  had  been  agreed  upon  before  leaving  Fredericksburg. 
He  said,  '  If  the  enemy  is  there  to-morrow,  we  must  attack  him.' 
I  replied :  '  If  he  is  there,  it  will  be  because  he  is  anxious  that 
we  should  attack  him — a  good  reason  in  my  judgment  for  not 
doing  so.'  I  urged  that  we  should  move  around  by  our  right 
to  the  left  of  Meade  and  put  our  army  between  him  and  Wash 
ington,  threatening  his  left  and  rear,  and  thus  force  him  to 
attack  us  in  such  position  as  we  might  select.  ...  I  called 
his  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  country  was  admirably  adapted 
for  a  defensive  battle,  and  that  we  should  surely  repulse  Meade 
with  crushing  loss  if  we  would  take  position  so  as  to  force  him 
to  attack  us,  and  suggested  that  even  if  we  carried  the  heights 
in  front  of  us,  and  drove  Meade  out,  we  should  be  so  badly 
crippled  that  we  could  not  reap  the  fruits  of  victory;  and  that 
the  heights  of  Gettysburg  were  in  themselves  of  no  more  im 
portance  to  us  than  the  ground  we  then  occupied,  and  that  the 
mere  possession  of  the  ground  was  not  worth  a  hundred  men 
to  us.  That  Meade's  army,  not  its  position,  was  our  objective. 
General  Lee  was  impressed  with  the  idea  that  by  attacking 
the  Federals  he  could  whip  them  in  detail.  I  reminded  him  that 
if  the  Federals  were  there  in  the  morning  it  would  be  proof  that 
they  had  their  forces  well  in  hand,  and  that  with  Pickett  in 
Chambersburg,  and  Stuart  out  of  reach,  we  should  be  somewhat 
in  detail.  He,  however,  did  not  seem  to  abandon  the  idea  of 
attack  on  the  next  day.  He  seemed  under  a  subdued  excitement 
which  occasionally  took  possession  of  him  when  '  the  hunt  was 
up,'  and  threatened  his  superb  equipoise.  .  .  .  When  I  left 
General  Lee  on  the  night  of  the  1st,  I  believed  that  he  had  made 
up  his  mind  to  attack,  but  was  confident  that  he  had  not  yet 
determined  as  to  when  the  attack  should  be  made." 

But  General  Lee  persisted  in  the  direct  attack  "  up 
the  Emmitsburg  road."  Hood,  deployed  on  Long- 
street's  extreme  right,  at  once  perceived  that  the  true 
direction  was  by  flank  against  the  southern  slopes  of 

38 


THE  STORY  OF  GETTYSBURG 

Big  Round  Top.  He  delayed  the  advance  to  advise 
of  the  discovery  he  had  made.  Soon  the  positive  order 
came  back:  "  General  Lee's  orders  are  to  attack  up  the 
Emmitsburg  road."  He  still  hesitated  and  repeated 
the  suggestion.  Again  it  was  reiterated:  "  General 
Lee's  orders  are  to  attack  up  the  Emmitsburg  road." 
Then  the  troops  moved  to  the  attack.  There  was  no 
alternative.  Lee's  orders  were  imperative,  and  made 
after  he  had  personally  examined  the  enemy's  position. 
Longstreet  was  ordered  to  attack  a  specific  position 
"  up  the  Emmitsburg  road,"  which  was  not  Little 
Round  Top,  as  assumed  by  Gordon.  This  point  is  par 
ticularly  elaborated  because  in  it  lies  the  "  milk  in  the 
cocoanut"  of  the  charges  against  Longstreet.  Without 
consulting  the  records  Gordon  has  merely  followed  the 
lead  of  some  of  .General  Lee's  biographers,  notably 
Fitzhugh  Lee,  who  asserts  that  his  illustrious  uncle  "  ex 
pected  Longstreet  to  seize  Little  Round  Top  on  the 
2d  of  July."  The  records  clearly  show  that  nothing  was 
farther  from  General  Lee's  thoughts. 

After  the  war  it  was  discovered  that  a  very  early 
attack  on  Little  Round  Top  would  perhaps  have 
found  it  undefended,  hence  the  afterthought  that  Gen 
eral  Longstreet  was  ordered  to  attack  at  sunrise.  But 
whatever  the  hour  Longstreet  was  ordered  to  attack,  it 
was  most  certainly  not  Little  Round  Top  that  was  made 
his  objective. 


39 


LEE  AND   LONGSTKEET  AT  HlGH   TlDE 


CHAPTER   II 

LEE   CHANGES   PLAN    OF   CAMPAIGN 

"  General,  I  have  been  a  soldier  all  my  life.  I  have  been  with 
soldiers  engaged  in  fights  by  couples,  by  squads,  companies,  regi 
ments,  divisions,  and  armies,  and  should  know  as  well  as  any  one  what 
soldiers  can  do.  It  is  my  opinion  that  no  fifteen  thousand  men  ever 
arrayed  for  battle  can  take  that  position,"  pointing  to  Cemetery 

Hill. LONGSTREET  TO  LEE. 

GENEBAL  LONGSTREET'S  personal  account  of  this 
magnificent  battle  "  up  the  Emmitsburg  road"  will  not 
be  out  of  place  here.  In  the  newspaper  article  pre 
viously  quoted  from  he  very  graphically  describes  the 
advance  of  the  two  divisions  of  McLaws  and  Hood,  for 
when  he  went  into  battle  it  must  be  understood  that  even 
yet  one  of  his  divisions,  that  of  Pickett,  was  still  absent. 
He  states  his  total  force  at  thirteen  thousand  men.  An 
account  of  this  clash  of  arms  must  send  a  thrill  of  pride 
through  every  Southern  heart: 

**  At  half-past  three  o'clock  the  order  was  given  General  Hood 
to  advance  upon  the  enemy,  and,  hurrying  to  the  head  of 
McLaws's  division,  I  moved  with  his  line.  Then  was  fairly  com 
menced  what  I  do  not  hesitate  to  pronounce  the  best  three  hours' 
fighting  ever  done  by  any  troops  on  any  battle-field.  Directly 
in  front  of  us,  occupying  the  peach-orchard,  on  a  piece  of 
elevated  ground  that  General  Lee  desired  me  to  take  and  hold 
for  his  artillery,  was  the  Third  Corps  of  the  Federals,  com 
manded  by  General  Sickles. 

"  Prompt  to  the  order  the  combat  opened,  followed  by  ar 
tillery  of  the  other  corps,  and  our  artillerists  measured  up  to 
the  better  metal  of  the  enemy  by  vigilant  work.  .  .  . 

"  In  his  usual  gallant  style  Hood  led  his  troops  through  the 
rocky  fastnesses  against  the  strong  lines  of  his  earnest  adver- 

40 


MAJOR-GENERAL   D.    E.   SICKLES 


LEE  CHANGES  PLAN  OF  CAMPAIGN 

sary,  and  encountered  battle  that  called  for  all  of  his  power 
and  skill.  The  enemy  was  tenacious  of  his  strong  ground;  his 
skilfully  handled  batteries  swept  through  the  passes  between  the 
rocks;  the  more  deadly  fire  of  infantry  concentrated  as  our 
men  bore  upon  the  angle  of  the  enemy's  line  and  stemmed  the 
fiercest  onset  until  it  became  necessary  to  shorten  their  work 
by  a  desperate  charge.  This  pressing  struggle  and  the  cross 
fire  of  our  batteries  broke  in  the  salient  angle,  but  the  thicken 
ing  fire,  as  the  angle  was  pressed  back,  hurt  Hood's  left  and 
held  him  in  steady  fight.  His  right  brigade  was  drawn  towards 
Round  Top  by  the  heavy  fire  pouring  from  that  quarter,  Ben- 
ning's  brigade  was  pressed  to  the  thickening  line  at  the  angle, 
and  G.  T.  Anderson's  was  put  in  support  of  the  battle  growing 
against  Hood's  right. 

"  I  rode  to  McLaws,  found  him  ready  for  his  opportunity, 
and  Barksdale  chafing  in  his  wait  for  the  order  to  seize  the 
battery  in  his  front.  Kershaw's  brigade  of  his  right  first  ad 
vanced  and  struck  near  the  angle  of  the  enemy's  line  where  his 
forces  were  gathering  strength.  After  additional  caution  to 
hold  his  ranks  closed,  McLaws  ordered  Barksdale  in.  With 
glorious  bearing  he  sprang  to  his  work,  overriding  obstacles  and 
dangers.  Without  a  pause  to  deliver  a  shot,  he  had  the  battery. 
Kershaw,  joined  by  Semmes's  brigade,  responded,  and  Hood's 
men,  feeling  the  impulsion  of  relief,  resumed  their  bold  fight, 
and  presently  the  enemy's  line  was  broken  through  its  length. 
But  his  well-seasoned  troops  knew  how  to  utilize  the  advantage 
of  their  ground  and  put  back  their  dreadful  fires  from  rocks, 
depressions,  and  stone  fences,  as  they  went  for  shelter  about 
Little  Round  Top.  .  .  .  The  fighting  had  become  tremendous, 
and  brave  men  and  officers  were  stricken  by  hundreds.  Posey 
and  Wilcox  dislodged  the  forces  about  the  Brick  House. 

"  General  Sickles  was  desperately  wounded ! 

"  General  Willard  was  dead ! 

"  General  Semmes,  of  McLaws's  division,  was  mortally 
wounded !  .  .  . 

"  I  had  one  brigade — Wofford's — that  had  not  been  engaged 
in  the  hottest  battle.  To  urge  the  troops  to  their  reserve  power 
in  the  precious  moments,  I  rode  with  Wofford.  The  rugged 

field,   the   rough    plunge    of    artillery    fire,    and   the   piercing 

41 


LEE  AND  LONGSTREET  AT  HlGH  TlDE 

musket-shots  delayed  somewhat  the  march,  but  Alexander 
dashed  up  with  his  batteries  and  gave  new  spirit  to  the  worn 
infantry  ranks.  .  .  .  While  Meade's  lines  were  growing  my 
men  were  dropping;  we  had  no  others  to  call  to  their  aid, 
and  the  weight  against  us  was  too  heavy  to  carry.  .  .  .  Noth 
ing  was  heard  or  felt  but  the  clear  ring  of  the  enemy's  fresh 
metal  as  he  came  against  us.  No  other  part  of  the  army  had 
engaged!  My  seventeen  thousand  against  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac !  The  sun  was  down,  and  with  it  went  down  the  severe 
battle." 

Surely  these  are  not  the  utterances  of  one  who  had 
been  slow,  balky,  and  obstructive  on  that  field.  The 
ring  of  these  sentences  tells  no  tale  of  apathy  or  back 
wardness  because  his  advice  to  pursue  a  different  line 
of  operations  had  been  ignored  by  Lee. 

General  Gordon,  continuing,  very  complacently  as 
sumes  that  "  two  of  the  largest  corps  of  Meade's  army 
would  not  have  been  in  the  fight"  of  the  2d  had  Long- 
street  attacked  early  in  the  morning.  He  refers  to  the 
Union  Fifth  and  Sixth  Corps.  That  statement  is  cor 
rect  only  as  regards  the  Sixth  Corps,  which,  it  is  true, 
did  not  arrive  on  the  field  until  late  in  the  afternoon. 
But  it  took  only  a  slight  part  at  dark  on  the  2d,  when 
the  battle  was  over.  Indeed,  as  it  was  so  slightly  en 
gaged,  the  hour  of  its  arrival  at  Gettysburg  is  unimpor 
tant.  The  losses  of  the  different  corps  conclusively 
show  what  part  the  Sixth,  which  was  the  largest  in  the 
army,  took  in  the  battle  of  the  2d  of  July;  as  given  in 
the  Rebellion  Records: 

Killed  and  wounded:  First  Corps,  3980;  Second 
Corps,  3991;  Third  Corps,  3662;  Fifth  Corps,  1976; 
Sixth  Corps,  212;  Eleventh  Corps,  2353;  Twelfth 
Corps,  1016. 

Its  non-participation  strongly  militates  against  the 
spirit  of  Gordon's  argument,  in  that  Meade  entirely 
frustrated  Lee's  plans  and  defeated  the  Confederate 

42 


LEE  CHANGES  PLAN  OF  CAMPAIGN 

army,  scarcely  using  the  Sixth  Corps,  some  fifteen  thou 
sand  men,  at  all.  This  is  a  significant  commentary  on 
the  anti-Longstreet  assumption  of  how  easy  it  was  to 
win  at  Gettysburg  if  only  Longstreet  had  obeyed 
orders ! 

At  sunrise  on  the  2d,  the  hour  at  which  Longstreet's 
critics  would  have  had  this  attack  delivered,  the  Federal 
Fifth  Corps  was  as  near  the  battle-ground  of  that  day 
as  Longstreet's  troops.  Longstreet's  troops  were  biv 
ouacked  the  night  previous  at  Marsh  Creek,  four  miles 
west  of  Gettysburg.  They  began  to  arrive  near  Lee's 
head-quarters  on  Seminary  Ridge  not  earlier  than  7 
A.M.  of  the  2d,  and  the  last  of  the  column  did  not  get  in 
until  near  noon.  Then  they  were  still  five  miles  by  the 
route  pursued  from  the  chosen  point  of  attack. 

The  Union  Fifth  Corps  was  bivouacked  five  miles 
east  of  Gettysburg  about  the  same  hour  on  the  1st  that 
Longstreet's  tired  infantry  reached  Marsh  Creek.  At 
four  o'clock  A.M.  of  the  2d  they  marched  on  Gettysburg, 
arriving  about  the  same  hour  that  Longstreet's  troops 
were  being  massed  near  Lee's  head-quarters,  and  were 
thereupon  posted  upon  the  extreme  Federal  right. 

Upon  the  first  manifestation  of  Confederate  move 
ments  on  the  right  and  left,  we  know  that  the  Fifth 
Corps  was  immediately  drawn  in  closer,  and  about  nine 
o'clock  massed  at  the  bridge  over  Rock  Creek  on  the 
Baltimore  pike,  ready  for  developments.  Meade 
thought  Lee  intended  to  attack  his  right.  That  Lee 
contemplated  it  is  quite  certain.  Colonel  Venable,  of 
his  staff,  was  sent  about  sunrise  to  consult  with  Lieu- 
tenant-General  Ewell  upon  the  feasibility  of  a  general 
attack  from  his  front.  Lee  wanted  Eiwell's  views  as  to 
the  advisability  of  moving  all  the  available  troops 
around  to  that  front  for  such  a  purpose.  Venable  and 
Ewell  rode  from  point  to  point  to  determine  if  this 
should  be  done.  Finally,  Venable  says,  Lee  himself 

43 


LEE  AND   LONGSTREET  AT   HlGH    TlDE 

came  to  Ewell's  lines,  and  eventually  the  design  for  an 
attack  on  the  Union  right  was  abandoned. 

Where  the  Fifth  Corps  was  finally  massed,  it  was 
only  one  and  a  half  miles  in  the  rear  of  General  Sickles's 
position.  Moreover,  it  had  an  almost  direct  road  to 
that  point.  This  facility  for  reinforcing  incidentally 
illustrates  the  advantages  of  the  Union  position.  At 
the  same  hour  General  Longstreet's  troops  were  still 
massed  near  the  Chambersburg  pike,  three  miles  on  a 
straight  line  from  the  point  of  attack.  That  is  to  say, 
Longstreet  had  twice  as  far  to  march  on  an  air-line  to 
strike  Sickles  "  up  the  Emmitsburg  road"  as  Sykes  had 
to  reinforce  the  threatened  point.  But,  in  fact,  Sykes's 
advantage  was  far  greater  in  point  of  time,  because,  by 
order  of  Lee,  Longstreet  was  compelled  to  move  by 
back  roads  and  lanes,  out  of  sight  of  the  enemy's  signal 
officers  on  Round  Top.  His  troops  actually  marched 
six  or  seven  miles  to  reach  the  point  of  deployment. 

Longstreet  eventually  attacked  about  4  P.M.,  and  the 
Fifth  Corps  was  used  very  effectively  against  him. 
But  no  historian  who  esteems  the  truth,  with  the  undis 
puted  records  before  him,  will  deny  that  it  could  and 
would  have  been  used  just  as  effectively  at  seven  or 
eight  o'clock  in  the  morning.  The  moment  Longstreet's 
movement  was  detected  it  was  immediately  hurried  over 
to  the  left  and  occupied  Round  Top.  If  Longstreet 
had  moved  earlier,  the  Fifth  Corps  also  would  have 
moved  earlier.  It  could  have  been  on  Sickles's  left  and 
rear  as  early  as  seven  o'clock  A.M.,  had  it  been  necessary. 
If  Ewell  and  not  Longstreet  had  delivered  the  general 
attack  it  would  have  been  found  in  his  front. 

It  is  mathematically  correct  to  say  that  the  troops 
which  met  Longstreet  on  the  afternoon  of  the  2d  could 
have  been  brought  against  him  in  the  morning.  The 
reports  of  General  Meade,  General  Sykes,  the  com 
mander  of  the  Fifth  Corps  of  Sykes's  brigade,  and  regi- 


44 


LEE  CHANGES  PLAN  OF  CAMPAIGN 

mental  commanders,  and  various  other  documentary 
history  bearing  on  the  subject,  are  convincing  upon  this 
point. 

General  Sickles's  advance  was  made  in  consequence 
of  the  Confederate  threatening,  and  would  have  been 
sooner  or  later  according  as  that  threatening  was  made. 
The  critics  ignore  this  fact. 

General  Longstreet  says  on  this  point: 

"  General  Meade  was  with  General  Sickles  discussing  the 
feasibility  of  moving  the  Third  Corps  back  to  the  line  origi 
nally  assigned  for  it ;  the  discussion  was  cut  short  by  the  open 
ing  of  the  Confederate  battle.  If  that  opening  had  been  de 
layed  thirty  or  forty  minutes,  Sickles's  corp  would  have  been 
drawn  back  to  the  general  line,  and  my  first  deployment  would 
have  enveloped  Little  Round  Top  and  carried  it  before  it  could 
have  been  strongly  manned.  The  point  should  have  been  that 
the  battle  was  opened  too  soon." 

So  much  for  one  part  of  Gordon's  assumption,  based 
upon  other  assumptions  founded  upon  an  erroneous 
presumption,  that  if  Longstreet  had  taken  wings  and 
flown  on  an  air-line  from  his  bivouac  at  Marsh  Creek  to 
the  Federal  left  and  attacked  at  sunrise  he  would  have 
found  no  enemy  near  the  Round  Tops. 

In  another  equally  unwarranted  assumption  of  what 
the  "  impartial"  military  critic  will  consider  an  "  estab 
lished  fact,"  Gordon  declares : 

"  Secondly,  that  General  Lee  ordered  Longstreet  to  attack  at 
daylight  on  the  morning  of  the  third  day,  and  that  the  latter 
did  not  attack  until  two  or  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  the 
artillery  opening  at  one." 

Lee  himself  mentions  no  such  order.  In  his  final 
report,  penned  six  months  afterwards,  he  merely  men 
tions  that  the  "  general  plan  was  unchanged,"  and 
Longstreet,  reinforced,  ordered  to  attack  "  next  morn 
ing,"  no  definite  hour  being  fixed.  It  is  significant, 

45 


LEE   AND   LONGSTREET   AT   HlGH   TlDE 

however,  that  in  his  letter  to  Jefferson  Davis  from  the 
field,  dated  July  4,  Lee  uses  this  language: 

"Next  day  (July  3),  the  third  division  of  General  Long- 
street's  corps  having  come  up,  a  more  extensive  attack  was 
made,"  etc. 

The  "  third  division"  was  Pickett's,  which  did  not 
arrive  from  Chamber sburg  until  9  A.M.  of  the  3d.  In 
the  same  report,  Lee  himself  states  that  "  Pickett,  with 
three  of  his  brigades,  joined  Longstreet  the  following 
morning."  There  is  no  dispute,  however,  about  the  hour 
of  Pickett's  arrival. 

So  that,  as  Pickett  was  selected  by  Lee  to  lead  the 
charge,  and  as  Lee  knew  exactly  where  Pickett  was,  it  is 
morally  impossible  that  it  was  fixed  for  daylight,  five 
hours  before  Pickett's  troops  were  up. 

In  one  place  Lee  remarks  in  his  report:  "  The  morn 
ing  was  occupied  in  necessary  preparations,  and  the 
battle  recommenced  in  the  afternoon  of  the  3d."  Time 
was  not  an  essential  element  in  the  problem  of  the  3d. 
The  Federal  army  was  then  all  up,  whereas  Pickett's 
Confederate  division  was  still  absent.  The  delay  of  a 
few  hours  was  therefore  a  distinct  gain  for  the  Con 
federates,  and  not  prejudicial,  as  Gordon  would  have 
the  world  believe. 

But  Longstreet's  official  report  is  decisive  of  the 
whole  question.  He  says,— 

"  On  the  following  morning  (that  is,  after  the  fight  of  the 
2d)  our  arrangements  were  made  for  renewing  the  attack  by  my 
right,  with  a  view  to  pass  round  the  hill  occupied  by  the  enemy's 
left,  and  gain  it  by  flank  and  reverse  attack.  A  few  moments 
after  my  orders  for  the  execution  of  this  plan  were  given,  the 
commanding  general  joined  me,  and  ordered  a  column  of  attack 
to  be  formed  of  Pickett's,  Heth's,  and  part  of  Fender's  divisions, 
the  assault  to  be  made  directly  at  the  enemy's  main  position,  the 

Cemetery  Hill." 

46 


LEE  CHANGES  PLAN  OF  CAMPAIGN 

Clearly  this  shows  that  Longstreet  had  no  orders  for 
the  morning  of  July  3.  As  Longstreet's  report  passed 
through  Lee's  hands,  the  superior  would  most  certainly 
have  returned  it  to  the  subordinate  for  correction  if 
there  were  errors  in  it.  This  he  did  not  do,  neither  did 
Lee  indorse  upon  the  document  itself  any  dissent  from 
its  tenor. 

As  Pickett  did  not  come  up  until  9  A.M.,  and  as  Gen 
eral  Lee  says  "  the  morning  was  occupied  in  necessary 
preparations,"  it  was  logistically  and  morally  impossible 
to  make  an  attack  at  daylight,  and  General  Longstreet 
states  that  it  could  not  have  been  delivered  sooner  than 
it  was. 

Finally,  Longstreet  emphatically  denies  that  Lee 
ordered  him  to  attack  at  daylight  on  the  3d.  He  says 
that  he  had  no  orders  of  any  kind  on  that  morning  until 
Lee  personally  came  over  to  his  front  and  ordered  the 
Pickett  charge.  No  early  attack  was  possible  under  the 
conditions  imposed  by  Lee  to  use  Pickett's,  Pettigrew's, 
and  Pender's  troops,  widely  separated. 

But  without  any  orders  from  Lee,  as  is  quite  appar 
ent,  Longstreet  had  already  given  orders  for  a  flank 
attack  by  the  southern  face  of  Big  Round  Top,  as  an 
alternative  to  directly  attacking  again  the  impregnable 
heights  from  which  he  had  been  repulsed  the  night 
before.  That  would  have  been  "  simple  madness,"  to 
quote  the  language  of  the  Confederate  General  Law. 
But  such  an  act  of  "  simple  madness"  was  the  only  day 
light  attack  possible  from  Longstreet's  front  on  the 
morning  of  the  3d.  Lee  substituted  for  the  feasible 
early  attack  projected  by  Longstreet  the  Pickett  move 
ment  straight  on  Cemetery  Heights  which  it  required 
hours  of  preparation  to  fulminate,  and  which  proved 
the  most  disastrous  and  destructive  in  Confederate 
annals.  It  was,  in  fact,  the  death-knell  of  the  Southern 
republic. 

47 


LEE  AND   LONGSTREET  AT   HlGH   TlDE 

In  his  published  memoirs,*  page  385,  General  Long- 
street  makes  this  concise  statement  in  regard  to  Lee's 
alleged  orders  for  the  early  morning  operations  on  the 
3d:  "  He  [General  Lee]  did  not  give  or  send  me  orders 
for  the  morning  of  the  third  day,  nor  did  he  reinforce 
me  by  Pickett's  brigades  for  morning  attack.  As  his 
head-quarters  were  about  four  miles  from  the  command, 
I  did  not  ride  over,  but  sent,  to  report  the  work  of  the 
second  day.  In  the  absence  of  orders,  I  had  scouting 
parties  out  during  the  night  in  search  of  a  way  by  which 
we  might  strike  the  enemy's  left  and  push  it  down 
towards  his  centre.  I  found  a  way  that  gave  some 
promise  of  results,  and  was  about  to  move  the  command 
when  he  [Lee]  rode  over  after  sunrise  and  gave  his 
orders." 

But  in  his  paper  of  1877,  on  Gettysburg,  herein 
before  freely  quoted  from,  General  Longstreet  goes 
more  into  detail  with  relation  to  Lee's  plans  and  orders 
for  the  morning  of  the  3d,  and  more  fully  discloses  the 
genesis  of  the  Pickett  charge.  In  this  account  his  own 
opposition  to  a  renewal  of  the  attack  on  Cemetery 
Hill  is  developed  and  the  obvious  reasons  therefor.  As 
he  is  confirmed  in  nearly  every  particular  by  partici 
pants  and  by  the  records,  his  account  is  here  reprinted: 

"  On  the  next  morning  he  came  to  see  me,  and,  fearing  that 
he  was  still  in  his  disposition  to  attack,  I  tried  to  anticipate  him 
by  saying,  '  General,  I  have  had  my  scouts  out  all  night,  and  I 
find  that  you  still  have  an  excellent  opportunity  to  move  around 
to  the  right  of  Meade's  army  and  manoeuvre  him  into  attacking 
us.'  He  replied,  pointing  with  his  fist  at  Cemetery  Hill,  *  The 
enemy  is  there,  and  I  am  going  to  strike  him.'  I  felt  then  that 
it  was  my  duty  to  express  my  convictions.  I  said,  '  General,  I 
have  been  a  soldier  all  my  life.  I  have  been  with  soldiers  en- 

* "  From  Manassas  to  Appomatox,"  by  James  Longstreet,  Lieu  tenant- 
General  Confederate  Army.  Philadelphia:  J.  B.  Lippincott  Company, 
1896.  Revised.  1903. 

48 


LEE  CHANGES  PLAN  or  CAMPAIGN 

gaged  in  fights  by  couples,  by  squads,  companies,  regiments, 
divisions,  and  armies,  and  should  know  as  well  as  any  one  what 
soldiers  can  do.  It  is  my  opinion  that  no  fifteen  thousand  men 
ever  arrayed  for  battle  can  take  that  position,'  pointing  to  Ceme 
tery  Hill. 

"  General  Lee,  in  reply  to  this,  ordered  me  to  prepare 
Pickett's  division  for  the  attack.  I  should  not  have  been  so 
urgent  had  I  not  foreseen  the  hopelessness  of  the  proposed 
assault.  I  felt  that  I  must  say  a  word  against  the  sacrifice  of 
my  men ;  and  then  I  felt  that  my  record  was  such  that  General 
Lee  would  or  could  not  misconstrue  my  motives.  I  said  no 
more,  however,  but  turned  away.  The  most  of  the  morning 
was  consumed  in  waiting  for  Pickett's  men  and  getting  into 
position." 

To  make  the  attitude  of  the  superior  and  his  subor 
dinate  more  clear  in  relation  to  the  proposed  desperate 
throw  of  General  Lee  for  victory,  and  to  further  ex 
plain  the  foregoing  protest  of  General  Longstreet,  quo 
tations  from  a  second  paper  of  the  series  printed  in  1877 
are  here  given,  in  which  he  says, — 

"  In  my  first  article  I  declared  that  the  invasion  of  Pennsyl 
vania  was  a  movement  that  General  Lee  and  his  council  agreed 
should  be  defensive  in  tactics,  while  of  course  it  was  offensive 
in  strategy ;  that  the  campaign  was  conducted  on  this  plan  until 
we  had  left  Chambersburg,  when,  owing  to  the  absence  of  our 
cavalry  and  our  consequent  ignorance  of  the  enemy's  where 
abouts,  we  collided  with  them  unexpectedly,  and  that  General 
Lee  had  lost  the  matchless  equipoise  that  usually  characterized 
him,  and  through  excitement  and  the  doubt  that  enveloped  the 
enemy's  movements,  changed  the  whole  plan  of  the  campaign 
and  delivered  a  battle  under  ominous  circumstances." 


LEE  AND   LONGSTREET  AT   HlGH   TlDE 

CHAPTER   III 

PICKETT'S  CHARGE 

"  Pickett  swept  past  our  artillery  in  splendid  style,  and  the  men 
marched  steadily  and  compactly  down  the  slope.  As  they  started  up 
the  ridge  over  one  hundred  cannon  from  the  breastworks  of  the 
Federals  hurled  a  rain  of  canister,  grape,  and  shell  down  upon 
them;  still  they  pressed  on  until  half-way  up  the  slope,  when  the 
crest  of  the  hill  was  lit  with  a  solid  sheet  of  flame  as  the  masses  of 
infantry  rose  and  fired.  When  the  smoke  cleared  away  Pickett's 
division  was  gone.  Nearly  two-thirds  of  his  men  lay  dead  on  the 
field." — LONGSTREET  ON  PICKETT'S  CHARGE. 

GENERAL  LONGSTREET'S  description  of  the  Pickett 
charge  itself  also  throws  much  light  on  these  old  contro 
versies.  It  is  confirmed  in  all  e'ssential  particulars  by 
General  Alexander  and  others  who  have  written  on  the 
subject  since  the  war,  and  also  by  the  reports: 

"  The  plan  of  assault  was  as  follows :  Our  artillery  was  to  be 
massed  in  a  wood  from  which  Pickett  was  to  charge,  and  it  was 
to  pour  a  continuous  fire  upon  the  cemetery.  Under  cover  of 
this  fire,  and  supported  by  it,  Pickett  was  to  charge.  General 
E.  P.  Alexander,  a  brave  and  gifted  officer,  being  at  the  head 
of  the  column,  and  being  first  in  position,  and  being  besides  an 
officer  of  unusual  promptness,  sagacity,  and  intelligence,  was 
given  charge  of  the  artillery.  The  arrangements  were  com 
pleted  about  one  o'clock.  General  Alexander  had  arranged  that 
a  battery  of  seven  11-pound  howitzers,  with  fresh  horses  and 
full  caissons,  were  to  charge  with  Pickett,  at  the  head  of  his 
line,  but  General  Pendleton,  from  whom  the  guns  had  been  bor 
rowed,  recalled  them  just  before  the  charge  was  made,  and  thus 
deranged  this  wise  plan. 

"  Never  was  I  so  depressed  as  upon  that  day.  I  felt  that 
my  men  were  to  be  sacrificed,  and  that  I  should  have  to  order 
them  to  make  a  hopeless  charge.  I  had  instructed  General  Alex- 

50 


PICKETT'S  CHARGE 

ander,  being  unwilling  to  trust  myself  with  the  entire  respon 
sibility,  to  carefully  observe  the  effect  of  the  fire  upon  the  enemy, 
and  when  it  began  to  tell  to  notify  Pickett  to  begin  the  assault. 
I  was  so  much  impressed  with  the  hopelessness  of  the  charge 
that  I  wrote  the  following  note  to  General  Alexander: 

" '  If  the  artillery  fire  does  not  have  the  effect  to  drive  off  the  enemy 
or  greatly  demoralize  him,  so  as  to  make  our  efforts  pretty  certain,  I 
would  prefer  that  you  should  not  advise  General  Pickett  to  make  the 
charge.  I  shall  rely  a  great  deal  on  your  judgment  to  determine  the 
matter,  and  shall  expect  you  to  let  Pickett  know  when  the  moment  offers.' 

"  To  my  note  the  general  replied  as  follows : 

" c  I  will  only  be  able  to  judge  the  effect  of  our  fire  upon  the  enemy 
by  his  return  fire,  for  his  infantry  is  but  little  exposed  to  view,  and  the 
smoke  will  obscure  the  whole  field.  If,  as  I  infer  from  your  note,  there 
is  an  alternative  to  this  attack,  it  should  be  carefully  considered  before 
opening  our  fire,  for  it  will  take  all  of  the  artillery  ammunition  we  have 
left  to  test  this  one  thoroughly,  and  if  the  result  is  unfavorable,  we  will 
have  none  left  for  another  effort,  and  even  if  this  is  entirely  successful  it 
can  only  be  so  at  a  very  bloody  cost.' 

"  I  still  desired  to  save  my  men,  and  felt  that  if  the  artillery 
did  not  produce  the  desired  effect  I  would  be  justified  in  holding 
Pickett  off.  I  wrote  this  note  to  Colonel  Walton  at  exactly 
1.30  P.M.: 

"'Let  the  batteries  open.  Order  great  precision  in  firing.  If  the  bat 
teries  at  the  peach-orchard  cannot  be  used  against  the  point  we  intend 
attacking,  let  them  open  on  the  enemy  at  Rocky  Hill.' 

"  The  cannonading  which  opened  along  both  lines  was  grand. 
In  a  few  moments  a  courier  brought  a  note  to  General  Pickett 
(who  was  standing  near  me)  from  Alexander,  which,  after  read 
ing,  he  handed  to  me.  It  was  as  follows : 

" '  If  you  are  coming  at  all  you  must  come  at  once,  or  I  cannot  give 
you  proper  support;  but  the  enemy's  fire  has  not  slackened  at  all;  at 
least  eighteen  guns  are  still  firing  from  the  cemetery  itself.' 

"  After  I  had  read  the  note  Pickett  said  to  me,  '  General, 
shall  I  advance?'  My  feelings  had  so  overcome  me  that  I  would 
not  speak  for  fear  of  betraying  my  want  of  confidence  to  him. 

I  bowed  affirmation  and  turned  to  mount  my  horse.     Pickett 

51 


LEE  AND   LONGSTREET   AT   HlGH    TlDE 

immediately  said,  '  I  shall  lead  my  division  forward,  sir.'  I 
spurred  my  horse  to  the  wood  where  Alexander  was  stationed 
with  artillery.  When  I  reached  him  he  told  me  of  the  disap 
pearance  of  the  seven  guns  which  were  to  have  led  the  charge 
with  Pickett,  and  that  his  ammunition  was  so  low  that  he  could 
not  properly  support  the  charge.  I  at  once  ordered  him  to 
stop  Pickett  until  the  ammunition  had  been  replenished.  He 
informed  me  that  he  had  no  ammunition  with  which  to  replenish. 
I  then  saw  that  there  was  no  help  for  it,  and  that  Pickett  must 
advance  under  his  orders.  He  swept  past  our  artillery  in  splen 
did  style,  and  the  men  marched  steadily  and  compactly  down 
the  slope.  As  they  started  up  the  ridge  over  one  hundred 
cannon  from  the  breastworks  of  the  Federals  hurled  a  rain  of 
cannister,  grape,  and  shell  down  upon  them;  still  they  pressed 
on  until  half-way  up  the  slope,  when  the  crest  of  the  hill  was  lit 
with  a  solid  sheet  of  flame  as  the  masses  of  infantry  rose  and 
fired.  When  the  smoke  cleared  away  Pickett's  division  was  gone. 
Nearly  two-thirds  of  his  men  lay  dead  on  the  field,  and  the  sur 
vivors  were  sullenly  retreating  down  the  hill.  Mortal  man  could 
not  have  stood  that  fire.  In  half  an  hour  the  contested  field  was 
cleared  and  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  was  over. 

"  When  this  charge  had  failed  I  expected  that  of  course  the 
enemy  would  throw  himself  against  our  shattered  ranks  and 
try  to  crush  us.  I  sent  my  staff-officers  to  the  rear  to  assist  in 
rallying  the  troops,  and  hurried  to  our  line  of  batteries  as  the 
only  support  that  I  could  give  them,  knowing  that  my  presence 
would  impress  upon  every  one  of  them  the  necessity  of  holding 
the  ground  to  the  last  extremity.  I  knew  if  the  army  was  to  be 
saved  those  batteries  must  check  the  enemy." 


GORDON'S  "ESTABLISHED  FACTS" 


CHAPTER   IV 

GORDON'S  "  ESTABLISHED  FACTS"  AND  PENDLETON'S 
FULMINATIONS 

No  officer  in  a  position  to  know  anything  about  the  matter  con 
firmed  Pendleton's  statement,  while  everybody  who  should  have  been 
aware  of  such  an  important  order  directly  contradicted  it,  as  do  all 
the  records. 

CONTINUING  on  the  subject  of  Longstreet's  alleged 
disobedience,  Gordon  considers  the  following  as  another 
of  the  "  facts  established:" 

"  Thirdly,  that  General  Lee,  according  to  the  testimony  of 
Colonel  Walter  Taylor,  Colonel  C.  S.  Venable,  and  General 
A.  L.  Long,  who  were  present  when  the  order  was  given,  ordered 
Longstreet  to  make  the  attack  on  the  last  day  with  the  three 
divisions  of  his  own  corps  and  two  divisions  of  A.  P.  Hill's  corps, 
and  that  instead  of  doing  so  Longstreet  sent  only  fourteen 
thousand  men  to  assail  Meade's  army  in  the  latter's  strong  and 
heavily  intrenched  position." 

This  is  the  old  story  that  Longstreet  was  culpable  in 
not  sending  McLaws  and  Hood  to  the  attack  with 
Pickett. 

But,  in  fact,  Lee's  own  utterances  show  that  McLaws 
and  Hood  wrere  not  to  join  in  the  Pickett  attack,  but, 
on  the  contrary,  were  excluded  for  other  vital  service  by 
Lee's  specific  directions.  It  is  true  this  was  done  upon 
Longstreet's  strenuous  representations  that  twenty 
thousand  Federals  were  massed  behind  the  Round  Top 
to  swoop  down  on  the  Confederate  flank  if  Hood  and 
McLaws  were  withdrawn.  After  viewing  the  ground 
himself  Lee  acquiesced.  The  eye-witnesses  quoted  by 

53 


LEE  AND   LONGSTREET   AT   HlGH    TlDE 

Gordon  heard  only  the  original  order;  they  evidently 
did  not  know  of  its  necessary  modification,  after  Lee 
was  made  aware  by  his  own  personal  observations  and 
by  Longstreet's  explanations  that  it  was  impossible  to 
withdraw  Hood  and  McLaws. 

The  official  reports  of  both  Lee  and  Longstreet  are 
conclusive  on  this  point,  and  they  substantially  agree. 
In  the  paragraph  quoted  in  the  preceding  chapter, 
Longstreet  states  explicitly  that  "  the  commanding 
general  joined  me"  (on  the  far  right  on  the  morning  of 
the  3d)  "  and  ordered  a  column  of  attack  to  be  formed 
of  Pickett's,  Heth's,  and  part  of  Fender's  divisions," 
etc.  If  this  was  a  misstatement,  why  did  not  Lee  cor 
rect  it  before  sending  the  report  to  the  War  Depart 
ment?  He  did  not;  on  the  contrary,  Lee  corroborates 
Longstreet  in  these  paragraphs  of  his  own  official  re 
port,  in  which  he  also  explains  in  detail  why  McLaws 
and  Hood  were  not  ordered  forward  with  Pickett: 

"  General  Longstreet  was  delayed  by  a  force  occupying  the 
high  rocky  hills  on  the  enemy's  extreme  left,  from  which  his 
troops  could  be  attacked  in  reverse  as  they  advanced.  His  opera 
tions  had  been  embarrassed  the  day  previous  by  the  same  cause, 
and  he  now  deemed  it  necessary  to  defend  his  flank  and  rear  with 
the  divisions  of  Hood  and  McLaws.  He  was  therefore  rein 
forced  by  Heth's  division  and  two  brigades  of  Fender's.  .  .  . 
General  Longstreet  ordered  forward  the  column  of  attack,  con 
sisting  of  Pickett's  and  Heth's  divisions  in  two  lines,  Pickett 
on  the  right." 

Now,  one  of  Lee's  favorite  officers,  General  Pickett, 
had  personal  supervision  of  the  formation  of  the  attack 
ing  column.  General  Lee  was  for  a  time  personally 
present  while  this  work  was  going  on,  conversing  with 
Pickett  concerning  the  proper  dispositions  and  making 
various  suggestions.  He  therefore  knew  by  personal 
observation,  before  the  charge  was  made,  exactly  what 

54 


GORDON'S  "ESTABLISHED  FACTS" 

troops  were  included  and  what  were  not.  He  knew  that 
the  extreme  right  of  Hood's  division  was  at  that 
moment  fully  three  miles  away,  holding  a  difficult  posi 
tion  in  face  of  an  overwhelming  force  of  Federals,  and 
McLaws  almost  equally  distant. 

With  these  documents  before  him,  how  can  Gordon 
believe  it  an  "  established  fact"  that  Lee  expected  Mc 
Laws  and  Hood  to  take  part  in  the  Pickett  charge? 

It  is  admitted  by  almost  if  not  quite  all  authority  on 
the  subject  that  Pickett's  charge  was  hopeless.  The 
addition  of  McLaws  and  Hood  would  not  have  in 
creased  the  chances  of  success.  The  Confederates 
under  Longstreet  and  R.  H.  Anderson  had  tested  the 
enemy's  position  on  that  front  thoroughly  in  the  battle 
of  the  2d,  and  with  a  much  larger  force,  including  these 
same  divisions  of  McLaws  and  Hood,  who  had  been 
repulsed.  There  was  every  reason  to  believe  that  the 
position  was  much  stronger  on  the  final  day  than  when 
Longstreet  attacked  it  on  the  2d.  The  troops  of  Hood 
and  McLaws,  in  view  of  their  enormous  losses,  were  in 
no  condition  to  support  Pickett  effectively,  even  had 
they  been  free  for  that  purpose.  But  it  has  been  shown 
above  by  the  testimony  of  both  Lee  and  Longstreet  that 
they  were  required  to  maintain  the  position  they  had 
won  in  the  desperate  struggle  of  the  evening  previous 
to  prevent  the  twenty-two  thousand  men  of  the  Union 
Fifth  and  Sixth  Corps  from  falling  en  masse  upon 
Pickett's  right  flank,  or  their  own  flank  and  rear  had 
they  moved  in  unison  with  Pickett. 

Having  proved  from  Lee's  own  official  written  utter 
ances  that  the  three  foregoing  points  set  up  by  Gordon 
cannot  possibly  be  accepted  as  "  established  facts,"  we 
now  come  to  his  "  fourthly,"  which  is  really  a  summing 
up  of  the  whole  case  against  Longstreet, — viz.,  that  he 
was  disobedient,  slow,  "  balky,"  and  obstructive  at  Get 
tysburg.  He  says,— 

55 


LEE  AND   LONGSTREET  AT   HlGH    TlDE 

"  Fourthly,  that  the  great  mistake  of  the  halt  on  the  first  day 
would  have  been  repaired  on  the  second,  and  even  on  the  third 
day,  if  Lee's  orders  had  been  vigorously  executed,  and  that 
General  Lee  died  believing  that  he  lost  Gettysburg  at  last  by 
Longstreet's  disobedience  of  orders." 

The  first  positive  utterance  holding  General  Long- 
street  responsible  for  the  defeat  at  Gettysburg,  through 
failure  to  obey  Lee's  orders,  came  from  Rev.  Dr. 
William  1ST.  Pendleton,  an  Episcopal  clergyman  of  Vir 
ginia,  on  the  17th  of  January,  1873.  General  Lee  had 
then  been  dead  more  than  two  years.  In  view  of  what 
follows  it  is  well  to  bear  in  mind  these  two  distinct 
dates.  There  had  been  some  vague  hints,  particularly 
among  some  of  the  higher  ex-Confederates  from 
Virginia  prior  to  Pendleton's  categorical  story,  but 
Pendleton  was  the  first  person  to  distinctly  formulate 
the  indictment  against  Longstreet  for  disobedience 
of  orders.  In  an  address  delivered  in  the  town  of 
Lexington,  Virginia,  on  the  date  mentioned,  in  be 
half  of  a  memorial  church  to  General  Lee,  Pendleton 
uses  this  language,  referring  to  the  battle  of  Gettys 
burg: 

"  The  ground  southwest  of  the  town  [Gettysburg]  was  care 
fully  examined  by  me  after  the  engagement  of  July  1.  ...  Its 
practicable  character  was  reported  to  our  commanding  general. 
He  informed  me  that  he  had  ordered  Longstreet  to  attack  on 
that  front  at  sunrise  next  morning.  And  he  added  to  myself: 
'  I  want  you  to  be  out  long  before  sunrise,  so  as  to  re-examine 
and  save  time.'  He  also  desired  me  to  communicate  with  General 
Longstreet,  as  well  as  himself.  The  reconnoissance  was  accord 
ingly  made  as  soon  as  it  was  light  enough  on  the  2d.  .  .  .  All 
this,  as  it  occurred  under  my  personal  observation,  it  is  nothing 
short  of  imperative  duty  that  I  thus  fairly  state." 

Rev.  Dr.  Pendleton  was  a  brigadier-general  and  chief 
of  artillery  on  Lee's  staff.  He  was  a  graduate  of  West 

M 


GORDON'S  "ESTABLISHED  FACTS" 

Point,  and  was  the  cadet  friend  of  Lee  for  more  than 
three  years  in  the  Military  Academy.  After  the  war 
they  were  closely  associated  at  Lexington,  Virginia. 
His  fulmination  had  the  effect  of  a  bombshell.  There 
was  a  hue  and  cry  at  once ;  corroborative  evidence  of  the 
easy  hearsay  sort  was  forthcoming  from  various  inter 
ested  quarters,  but  most  markedly  and  noisily  from  the 
State  of  Virginia,  as  if  by  preconcert.  Pendleton's  ful 
mination  appeared  to  have  been  expected  by  those  who 
had  previously  been  pursuing  Longstreet.  The  late 
General  Jubal  A.  Early  was  particularly  strenuous  in 
unreserved  endorsement  of  the  Pendleton  story.  The 
Rev.  J.  William  Jones,  of  Richmond,  the  self-appointed 
conservator  of  General  Lee's  fair  fame,  also  quickly 
added  his  testimony  to  the  reliability  of  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Pendleton's  discovery  and  dramatic  disclosure.  Those 
who  approved  generally  fortified  Pendleton  with  addi 
tional  statements  of  their  own. 

Pendleton's  statement  is  characteristic  of  the  whole, 
but  it  was  for  a  time  the  more  effective  because  it  was 
more  definite,  in  that  it  purported  to  recite  a  positive 
statement  by  Lee  of  an  alleged  order  to  Longstreet.  If 
Pendleton's  statement  falls,  the  whole  falls. 

General  Longstreet  was  astounded  when  Pendleton's 
Lexington  story  was  brought  to  his  attention.  He  had 
previously  paid  but  little  attention  to  indefinite  gossip 
of  a  certain  coterie  that  he  had  been  "  slow"  and  even 
"  obstructive"  at  Gettysburg,  and  had  never  heard  be 
fore  that  he  was  accused  of  having  disobeyed  a  positive 
order  to  attack  at  any  given  hour.  That  false  accusa 
tion  aroused  him  to  action.  He  categorically  denied 
Pendleton's  absurd  allegations,  and  at  once  appealed  to 
several  living  members  of  Lee's  staff  and  to  others  in 
a  position  to  know  the  facts,  to  exonerate  him  from  the 
charge  of  having  disobeyed  his  chief,  thereby  causing 
disaster. 

57 


LEE  AND   LONGSTREET  AT   HlGH    TlDE 

Colonel  Walter  H.  Taylor,  a  Virginian,  and  General 
Lee's  adjutant-general,  promptly  responded  as  fol 
lows  : 

"NORFOLK,  VIBGINIA,  April  28,  1875. 

"  DEAR  GENERAL, — I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  20th 
inst.  I  have  not  read  the  article  of  which  you  speak,  nor  have 
I  ever  seen  any  copy  of  General  Pendleton's  address;  indeed, 
I  have  read  little  or  nothing  of  what  has  been  written  since  the 
war.  In  the  first  place,  because  I  could  not  spare  the  time,  and 
in  the  second,  of  those  of  whose  writings  I  have  heard  I  deem 
but  very  few  entitled  to  any  attention  whatever.  I  can  only 
say  that  I  never  before  heard  of  '  the  sunrise  attack'  you  were 
to  have  made  as  charged  by  General  Pendleton.  If  such  an 
order  was  given  you  I  never  knew  of  it,  or  it  has  strangely 
escaped  my  memory.  I  think  it  more  than  probable  that  if 
General  Lee  had  had  your  troops  available  the  evening  previous 
to  the  day  of  which  you  speak  he  would  have  ordered  an  early 
attack,  but  this  does  not  touch  the  point  at  issue.  I  regard  it  as 
a  great  mistake  on  the  part  of  those  who,  perhaps  because  of 
political  differences,  now  undertake  to  criticise  and  attack  your 
war  record.  Such  conduct  is  most  ungenerous,  and  I  am  sure 
meets  the  disapprobation  of  all  good  Confederates  with  whom 
I  have  had  the  pleasure  of  associating  in  the  daily  walks  of  life. 
"  Yours  very  respectfully, 

"  W.  H.  TAYLOR. 
"  To  GENERAL  LONGSTREET." 

Two  years  afterwards  Colonel  Taylor  published  an 
article  strongly  criticising  General  Longstreet's  opera 
tions  at  Gettysburg,  but  in  that  article  was  this  candid 
admission: 

"  Indeed,  great  injustice  has  been  done  him  [Longstreet]  in 
the  charge  that  he  had  orders  from  the  commanding  general  to 
attack  the  enemy  at  sunrise  on  the  2d  of  July,  and  that  he  dis 
obeyed  these  orders.  This  would  imply  that  he  was  in  position 
to  attack,  whereas  General  Lee  but  anticipated  his  early  arrival 
on  the  2d,  and  based  his  calculations  upon  it.  I  have  shown 
how  he  was  disappointed,  and  I  need  hardly  add  that  the  delay 

was  fatal." 

58 


GORDON'S  "ESTABLISHED  FACTS" 

The  fact  that  Colonel  Taylor  was  himself  a  somewhat 
severe  critic  of  General  Longstreet,  through  a  misap 
prehension  of  certain  facts  and  conditions,  gives  addi 
tional  force  and  value  to  this  statement. 

Colonel  Charles  Marshall,  then  an  aide  on  Lee's  staff, 
who  succeeded  Long  as  Military  Secretary  and  subse 
quently  had  charge  of  all  the  papers  left  by  General 
Lee,  wrote  as  follows : 

"  BALTIMORE,  MARTLAND,  May  7,  1875. 

"  DEAR  GENERAL, — Your  letter  of  the  20th  ult.  was  received 
and  should  have  had  an  earlier  reply  but  for  my  engagements 
preventing  me  from  looking  at  my  papers  to  find  what  I  could 
on  the  subject.  I  have  no  personal  recollection  of  the  order  to 
which  you  refer.  It  certainly  was  not  conveyed  by  me,  nor 
is  there  anything  in  General  Lee's  official  report  to  show  the 
attack  on  the  2d  was  expected  by  him  to  begin  earlier,  except 
that  he  notices  that  there  was  not  proper  concert  of  action  on 
that  day.  .  .  . 

"  Respectfully, 

"  CHARLES  MARSHALL. 
"  To  GENERAL  LONGSTREET,  NEW  ORLEANS." 

Colonel  Charles  S.  Venable,  another  of  Lee's  aides 
and  after  the  war  one  of  his  firmest  partisans,  made  the 
following  detailed  statement,  which  not  only  refutes 
Pendleton's  Lexington  story,  but  bears  luminously 
upon  every  other  point  at  issue  concerning  the  alleged 
early-attack  order  of  the  2d: 

"  UXIVERSITY  or  VIHGIXIA,  May  11,  1875. 
"  GENERAL  JAMES  LONGSTREET  : 

"  DEAR  GENERAL, — Your  letter  of  the  25th  ultimo,  with  re 
gard  to  General  Lee's  battle  order  on  the  1st  and  2d  of  July 
at  Gettysburg,  was  duly  received.  I  did  not  know  of  any  order 
for  an  attack  on  the  enemy  at  sunrise  on  the  2d,  nor  can  I  believe 
any  such  order  was  issued  by  General  Lee.  About  sunrise  on  the 

2d  of  July  I  was  sent  by  General  Lee  to  General  Ewell  to  ask 

59 


LEE  AND   LONGSTREET  AT   HlGH   TlDE 

him  what  he  thought  of  the  advantages  of  an  attack  on  the 
enemy  from  his  position.  (Colonel  Marshall  had  been  sent  with 
a  similar  order  on  the  night  of  the  1st.)  General  Ewell  made 
me  ride  with  him  from  point  to  point  of  his  lines,  so  as  to  see 
with  him  the  exact  position  of  things.  Before  he  got  through 
the  examination  of  the  enemy's  position  General  Lee  came  him 
self  to  General  Ewell's  lines.  In  sending  the  message  to  General 
Ewell,  General  Lee  was  explicit  in  saying  that  the  question  was 
whether  he  should  move  all  the  troops  around  on  the  right  and 
attack  on  that  side.  I  do  not  think  that  the  errand  on  which 
I  was  sent  by  the  commanding  general  is  consistent  with  the 
idea  of  an  attack  at  sunrise  by  any  portion  of  the  army. 
"  Yours  very  truly, 

"  CHAS.  S.  VENABLE." 

General  A.  L.  Long,  a  Virginian,  was  General  Lee's 
Military  Secretary  and  aide  at  Gettysburg.  After  the 
war  he  wrote  a  book, — "  Memoirs  of  General  Lee," — in 
which  he  endeavored  to  hold  Longstreet  largely  respon 
sible  for  the  Gettysburg  disaster.  But  in  it  he  made 
no  assertion  that  Longstreet  had  disobeyed  an  order  for 
a  sunrise  attack  on  the  2d,  or  at  any  other  specific  hour 
on  that  or  the  next  day.  He  wrote  as  follows : 

"  Bio  ISLAND,  BEDFORD,  VIBGINIA,  May  31,  1875. 

"  DEAR  GENERAL, — Your  letter  of  the  20th  ult.,  referring 
to  an  assertion  of  General  Pendleton's,  made  in  a  lecture  de 
livered  several  years  ago,  which  was  recently  published  in  the 
Southern  Historical  Society  Magazine  substantially  as  follows: 
*  That  General  Lee  ordered  General  Longstreet  to  attack  Gen 
eral  Meade  at  sunrise  on  the  morning  of  the  2d  of  July,'  has 
been  received.  I  do  not  recollect  of  hearing  of  an  order  to 
attack  at  sunrise,  or  at  any  other  designated  hour,  pending  the 
operations  at  Gettysburg  during  the  first  three  days  of  July, 

1863.  .  .  . 

"  Yours  truly, 

"  A.  L.  LONG, 

"  To  GENERAL  LONGSTREET." 

60 


GORDON'S  "  ESTABLISHED  FACTS" 

The  foregoing  letters,  all  written  by  members  of 
General  Lee's  military  family,  all  his  close  friends  and 
personal  partisans,  are  worth  a  careful  study.  They  not 
only  negative  General  Pendleton's  "  sunrise"  story,  but 
as  a  whole  they  go  to  prove  that  it  was  not  expected  by 
Lee,  Longstreet,  Pendleton,  nor  any  other  high  officer, 
that  an  early  attack  was  to  have  been  delivered  on  the 
2d  of  July.  Both  Generals  McLaws  and  Hood,  Long- 
street's  division  commanders,  made  statements  disclosing 
that  they  were  totally  unaware  at  Gettysburg  of  any 
order  for  a  sunrise  attack  on  that  day.  No  officer  in 
a  position  to  know  anything  about  the  matter  confirmed 
Pendleton's  statement,  while  everybody  who  should 
have  been  aware  of  such  an  important  order,  directly 
contradicted  it,  as  do  all  the  records. 

The  statement  of  General  McLaws  appeared  in  a 
narrative  of  Gettysburg  published  in  a  Savannah  paper 
nearly  thirty  years  ago.  Besides  its  direct  bearing  on 
the  Pendleton  story,  it  furnishes  valuable  information 
as  to  some  of  the  causes  of  delay  encountered  by  Long- 
street's  troops  in  their  long  march  from  Chambersburg 
on  the  1st  of  July: 

"  On  the  30th  of  June  I  had  been  directed  to  have  my  division 
in  readiness  to  follow  General  Ewell's  corps.  Marching  towards 
Gettysburg,  which  it  was  intimated  we  would  have  passed  by 
ten  o'clock  the  next  day  (the  1st  of  July),  my  division  was 
accordingly  marched  from  its  camp  and  lined  along  the  road  in 
the  order  of  march  by  eight  o'clock  the  1st  of  July.  When  the 
troops  of  Ewell's  corps  (it  was  Johnston's  division  in  charge 
of  Ewell's  wagon-trains,  which  were  coming  from  Carlisle  by  the 
road  west  of  the  mountains)  had  passed  the  head  of  my  column 
I  asked  General  Longstreet's  staff -officer,  Major  Fairfax,  if 
my  division  should  follow.  He  went  off  to  inquire,  and  returned 
with  orders  for  me  to  wait  until  Ewell's  wagon-train  had  passed, 
which  did  not  happen  until  after  four  o'clock  P.M. 

"  The  train  was  calculated  to  be  fourteen  miles  long,  when  I 

61 


LEE  AND   LONGSTREET  AT   HlGH   TlDE 

took  up  the  line  of  march  and  continued  marching  until  I 
arrived  within  three  miles  of  Gettysburg,  where  my  command 
camped  along  a  creek.  This  was  far  into  the  night.  My  division 
was  leading  Longstreet's  corps,  and  of  course  the  other  divisions 
came  up  later.  I  saw  Hood's  division  the  next  morning,  and  un 
derstood  that  Pickett  had  been  detached  to  guard  the  rear. 

"  While  on  the  march,  at  about  ten  o'clock  at  night  I  met 
General  Longstreet  and  some  of  his  staff  coming  from  the  direc 
tion  of  Gettysburg  and  had  a  few  moments'  conversation  with 
him.  He  said  nothing  of  having  received  an  order  to  attack 
at  daylight  the  next  morning.  Here  I  will  state  that  until 
General  Pendleton  mentioned  it  about  two  years  ago,  when  he 
was  on  a  lecturing  tour,  after  the  death  of  General  Lee,  I  never 
heard  it  intimated  even  that  any  such  order  had  ever  been 
given." 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  a  letter  *  of  General 
Hood  to  General  Longstreet  on  the  subject  of  the  sun 
rise  order,  which  indirectly,  though  conclusively,  shows 
there  could  have  been  no  such  order,  besides  being  in 
teresting  and  instructive  as  to  other  points: 

"  I  arrived  with  my  staff  in  front  of  the  heights  of  Gettys 
burg  shortly  after  daybreak,  as  I  have  already  stated,  on  the 
morning  of  the  2d  of  July.  My  division  soon  commenced  filing 
into  an  open  field  near  me,  when  the  troops  were  allowed  to  stack 
arms  and  rest  until  further  orders.  A  short  distance  in  advance 
of  this  point,  and  during  the  early  part  of  the  same  morning, 
we  were  both  engaged  in  company  with  Generals  A.  P.  Hill  and 
Lee  in  observing  the  position  of  the  Federals.  General  Lee,  with 
coat  buttoned  to  the  throat,  sabre  belt  around  his  waist,  and 
field-glasses  pending  at  his  side,  walked  up  and  down  in  the 
shade  of  large  trees  near  us,  halting  now  and  then  to  observe 

*See  "Advance  and  Retreat,"  General  J.  B.  Hood's  Biography,  page 
65.  It  is  from  this  letter  that  I  obtain  the  information  concerning  Hood's 
proposed  flank  movement  on  Round  Top.  It  was  General  Hood's  letter 
which  informed  historians  that  "  General  Lee's  orders  are  to  attack  up  the 
Emmitsburg  road."  See  Hood's  letter  as  to  this;  also  that  of  Colonel 
Fairfax  at  page  63  of  this  work. 

62 


GORDON'S  "  ESTABLISHED  FACTS" 

the  enemy.  He  seemed  full  of  hope,  yet  at  times  buried  in  deep 
thought.  Colonel  Fremantle,  of  England,  was  ensconced  in 
the  forks  of  a  tree  not  far  off  with  glasses  in  constant  use 
examining  the  lofty  position  of  the  Federal  army. 

"  General  Lee  was  seemingly  anxious  that  you  should  attack 
that  morning.  He  remarked  to  me,  *  The  enemy  is  here,  and  if 
we  do  not  whip  him  he  will  whip  us.'  You  thought  it  better 
to  await  the  arrival  of  Pickett's  division,  at  that  time  still  in  the 
rear,  in  order  to  make  the  attack,  and  you  said  to  me  subse 
quently,  while  we  were  seated  together  near  the  trunk  of  a  tree, 
*  General  Lee  is  a  little  nervous  this  morning.  He  wishes  me 
to  attack.  I  do  not  wish  to  do  so  without  Pickett.  I  never  like 
to  go  into  a  battle  with  one  boot  off.' ' 

Another  letter,  which  in  a  way  is  still  more  important 
than  any  of  the  foregoing,  is  one  from  Colonel  John  W. 
Fairfax,  a  member  of  General  Longstreet's  staff.  It 
tends  to  show  that  the  sunrise-order  story  was  conjured 
up  by  Dr.  Pendleton  and  others  at  Lexington  after 
Lee's  death;  in  other  words,  it  is  strong  circumstantial 
confirmation  of  General  Longstreet's  belief  in  a  con 
spiracy.  Written  more  than  twenty-six  years  ago,  the 
manner  in  which  it  dovetails  with  all  the  foregoing  state 
ments  and  documents  as  to  the  various  events  involved 
is  peculiarly  significant.  Colonel  Fairfax  is  a  Virginian 
and  was  always  an  ardent  admirer  of  General  Lee,  but 
not  to  the  extent  of  desiring  to  uphold  his  fame  at  the 
expense  of  honor  or  the  ruin  of  another : 

"  FREESTONE  P.  O.,  PRINCE  WILLIAM  COUNTY,  VIRGINIA. 
"November  12,  1877. 

"  MY  DEAE  GENERAL  LONGSTREET, — .  .  .  The  winter  after 
the  death  of  General  Lee  I  was  in  Lexington,  visiting  my  sons 
at  the  Virginia  Military  Institute.  General  Pendleton  called 
to  see  me  at  the  hotel.  General  Custis  Lee  was  in  my  room  when 
he  came  in.  After  General  Lee  left,  General  Pendleton  asked 
me  if  General  Longstreet  was  not  ordered  to  attack  on  the  2d 

of  July  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  did  not  attack  until 

63 


LEE   AND   LONGSTREET  AT   HlGH    TlDE 

four  in  the  evening.  I  told  him  it  was  not  possible.  When  he 
left  me  I  was  under  the  impression  I  had  convinced  him  of  his 
mistaken  idea.  I  told  General  Pendleton  that  you  and  General 
Lee  were  together  the  greater  part  of  the  day  up  to  about  three 
o'clock  or  later ;  that  you  separated  at  the  mouth  of  a  lane  not 
long  thereafter.  You  said  to  me,  *  Those  troops  will  be  in 
position  by  the  time  you  get  there ;  tell  General  Hood  to  attack.' 
"  When  I  gave  the  order  to  General  Hood  he  was  standing 
within  a  step  or  two  of  his  line  of  battle.  I  asked  him  to  please 
delay  his  attack  until  I  could  communicate  to  General  Long- 
street  that  he  can  turn  the  enemy — pointing  to  a  gorge  in  the 
mountain,  where  we  would  be  sheltered  from  his  view  and  attack 
by  his  cavalry.  General  Hood  slapped  me  on  the  knee,  and 
said,  '  I  agree  with  you ;  bring  General  Longstreet  to  see  for 
himself.  When  I  reported  to  you,  your  answer  was,  '  It  is 
General  Lee's  order;  the  time  is  up, — attack  at  once.'  I  lost 
no  time  in  repeating  the  same  to  General  Hood,  and  remained 
with  him  to  see  the  attack,  which  was  made  instantly.  We  had 
a  beautiful  view  of  the  enemy's  left  from  Hood's  position,  which 
was  close  up  to  him.  He  gave  way  quickly.  General  Hood 
charged,  and  I  spurred  to  report  to  you;  found  you  with  hat 
in  hand,  cheering  on  General  McLaws's  division.  .  .  . 
"  Truly  your  friend, 

"  JOHN  W.  FAIRFAX." 

General  Longstreet's  views  at  the  time  of  the  Gettys 
burg  operations  are  conveyed  in  a  personal  letter  of  a 
confidential  nature,  written  only  twenty  days  after  the 
event  to  his  uncle  in  Georgia,  upon  being  made  aware 
that  there  was  a  sly  undercurrent  of  misrepresentation 
of  his  course  current  in  certain  circles  of  the  army: 

"CAMP   CTTLPEPER  COURT-HOUSE, 

"  July  24,  1863. 

"  MY  DEAR  UNCLE, — Your  letters  of  the  13th  and  14th  were 
received  on  yesterday.  As  to  our  late  battle  I  cannot  say  much. 
I  have  no  right  to  say  anything,  in  fact,  but  will  venture  a  little 
for  you  alone.  If  it  goes  to  aunt  and  cousins  it  must  be  under 
promise  that  it  will  go  no  farther.  The  battle  was  not  made  as 

64 


GORDON'S  "  ESTABLISHED  FACTS" 

I  would  have  made  it.  My  idea  was  to  throw  ourselves  between 
the  enemy  and  Washington,  select  a  strong  position,  and  force 
the  enemy  to  attack  us.  So  far  as  is  given  to  man  the  ability 
to  judge,  we  may  say  with  confidence  that  we  should  have  de 
stroyed  the  Federal  army,  marched  into  Washington,  and  dic 
tated  our  terms,  or  at  least  held  Washington  and  marched  over 
as  much  of  Pennsylvania  as  we  cared  to,  had  we  drawn  the 
enemy  into  attack  upon  our  carefully  chosen  position  in  his  rear. 
General  Lee  chose  the  plans  adopted,  and  he  is  the  person  ap 
pointed  to  choose  and  to  order.  I  consider  it  a  part  of  my 
duty  to  express  my  views  to  the  commanding  general.  If  he 
approves  and  adopts  them,  it  is  well;  if  he  does  not,  it  is  my 
duty  to  adopt  his  views  and  to  execute  his  orders  as  faithfully 
as  if  they  were  my  own.  I  cannot  help  but  think  that  great 
results  would  have  been  obtained  had  my  views  been  thought 
better  of,  yet  I  am  much  inclined  to  accept  the  present  condi 
tion  as  for  the  best.  I  hope  and  trust  that  it  is  so.  Your  pro 
gramme  would  all  be  well  enough  had  it  been  practicable,  and 
was  duly  thought  of,  too.  I  fancy  that  no  good  ideas  upon 
that  campaign  will  be  mentioned  at  any  time  that  did  not  receive 
their  share  of  consideration  by  General  Lee.  The  few  things 
that  he  might  have  overlooked  himself  were,  I  believe,  suggested 
by  myself.  As  we  failed,  I  must  take  my  share  of  the  respon 
sibility.  In  fact,  I  would  prefer  that  all  the  blame  should  rest 
upon  me.  As  General  Lee  is  our  commander,  he  should  have 
the  support  and  influence  we  can  give  him.  If  the  blame,  if 
there  is  any,  can  be  shifted  from  him  to  me,  I  shall  help  him 
and  our  cause  by  taking  it.  I  desire,  therefore,  that  all  the 
responsibility  that  can  be  put  upon  me  shall  go  there  and  shall 
remain  there.  The  truth  will  be  known  in  time,  and  I  leave  that 
to  show  how  much  of  the  responsibility  of  Gettysburg  rests  on 
my  shoulders.  .  .  . 

"  Most  affectionately  yours, 

"  J.    LONGSTREET. 

"  To  A.  B.  LONGSTREET,  LL.D.,  COLUMBUS,  GA." 

Aside  from  all  this  irrefragable  personal  testimony 
of  conspicuous  participants  disproving  Pendleton's 
apocryphal  story,  there  is  other  evidence  still  more 

5  65 


LEE   AND    LONGSTREET  AT   HlGH    TlDE 

conclusive  that  no  sunrise  order  for  attack  by  Long- 
street  was  given  by  Lee,  and  equally  strong  that  an 
early  attack  on  that  day  was  out  of  the  question.  The 
position  of  Longstreet's  troops,  all  still  absent  from 
the  field  and  on  the  march,  forbade  an  attack  by 
him  at  sunrise,  or  at  any  other  hour  much  before 
noon,  at  the  point  designated  by  Lee.  General  Lee 
was  well  aware  of  its  impossibility.  At  sunrise  Long- 
street's  infantry  was  still  distant  from  the  field,  but 
rapidly  coming  up.  One  brigade  (Law's)  was  not 
less  than  twenty  miles  away  at  the  very  hour  Pendleton 
would  have  had  Longstreet  attack.  McLaws's  and 
Hood's  divisions  had  encamped  at  Marsh  Creek,  four 
miles  from  Gettysburg,  at  midnight  of  the  1st,  and 
did  not  begin  to  arrive  on  Seminary  Ridge  until  more 
than  three  hours  after  sunrise  on  the  2d. 

The  corps  artillery  did  not  get  up  until  nine  or  ten 
o'clock,  and  part  of  it  not  until  noon  or  after.  Pickett's 
division  did  not  begin  its  march  from  the  vicinity  of 
Chambersburg,  some  thirty  miles  away,  until  the  2d. 
Pendleton's  report,  herein  quoted,  shows  how  the  artil 
lery  was  delayed,  and  the  deterrent  effect  that  delay  had 
upon  Longstreet's  advance  after  he  received  the  order. 
Pendleton  himself  was  the  chief  of  artillery,  and  largely 
responsible  for  its  manoeuvres. 

After  their  arrival  upon  Seminary  Ridge,  the  in 
fantry  of  Hood  and  McLaws  was  massed  in  a  field 
within  musket  shot  of  General  Lee's  head-quarters,  and 
there  rested  until  the  troops  took  arms  for  the  march  to 
the  point  of  attack.  From  this  point  of  rest  near  Lee's 
head-quarters  to  the  point  of  attack,  by  the  circuitous 
route  selected  by  Pendleton,  was  between  five  and  seven 
miles. 

So  that  Longstreet's  infantry,  the  nearest  at  hand, 
had  from  nine  to  eleven  miles  to  march  to  reach  the 
selected  point  of  attack,  the  greater  part  of  which  march 

66 


GORDON'S  "  ESTABLISHED  FACTS" 

by  the  back  roads  and  ravines,  to  avoid  the  observation 
of  the  enemy,  was  necessarily  slow  at  best,  and  made 
doubly  so  by  the  mistakes  of  Pendleton's  guides,  who 
put  the  troops  upon  the  wrong  routes.  The  artillery, 
still  back  on  the  Chambersburg  road,  did  not  all  get  up 
until  noon,  causing  a  further  delay  of  the  whole  column, 
as  shown  by  the  Pendleton  report.  General  Law's 
brigade,  marching  from  3  A.M.,  arrived  about  noon. 

After  they  came  up  all  movements  were  still  several 
hours  delayed,  awaiting  Lee's  personal  reconnoissances 
on  the  left  and  right  to  determine  the  point  of  attack. 

Colonel  Venable  says  that  "  about  sunrise"  he  was 
sent  to  General  Ewell  on  the  left  to  inquire  if  it  were 
not  more  feasible  to  attack  in  that  quarter.  While  he 
was  riding  from  point  to  point  with  Ewell,  Lee  him 
self  came  over  to  see  Ewell  in  person.  Lee  did  not 
return  to  Longstreet's  front  until  about  nine  o'clock. 
Meanwhile,  his  staff-officers,  Pendleton,  Long,  Colonel 
Walker,  and  Captain  Johnston,  by  Lee's  orders,  had 
been  examining  the  ground  to  the  right.  Upon  Lee's 
return  from  the  left  he  rode  far  to  the  right  and  joined 
Pendleton. 

Not  until  then  was  the  attack  on  the  enemy's  left  by 
Longstreet  finally  decided  upon.  Longstreet  said  it 
was  not  earlier  than  eleven  o'clock  when  he  received 
his  orders  to  move;  from  the  time  consumed  by  Lee 
and  his  staff  it  was  probably  later.  The  front  of  the 
Confederate  army  was  six  miles  in  extent. 

Hence  matters  on  the  morning  of  July  2  were  not 
awaiting  Longstreet's  movements.  All  that  long  fore 
noon  everything  was  still  in  the  air,  depending  upon 
Lee's  personal  examinations  and  final  decisions. 

It  is  perfectly  clear  from  this  indecision  on  the  2d 
that  Lee  could  not  have  arrived  at  a  decision  the  pre 
vious  night,  as  asserted  by  Pendleton  at  Lexington  long 
after  the  war. 

67 


LEE  AND   LONGSTBEET  AT  HlGH   TlDE 


CHAPTER   V 

LONGSTREET'S  VERSION  OF  THE  OPERATIONS  OF  JULY  2 

"  General  Lee  never  in  his  life  gave  me  orders  to  open  an  attack 
at  a  specific  hour.  He  was  perfectly  satisfied  that  when  I  had  my 
troops  in  position  and  was  ordered  to  attack,  no  time  was  ever  lost." 

LONGSTREET   ON   THE   SECOND  DAY  AT  GETTYSBURG. 

THE  hour,  the  feasibility,  and  point  of  attack  have 
now  been  thoroughly  discussed,  mainly  from  the  stand 
point  of  the  official  records.  As  supplementary  to  the 
recitations  of  the  official  reports  of  Lee,  Longstreet, 
Pendleton,  and  others  quoted  on  these  heads,  it  seems 
desirable  to  introduce  just  here  General  Longstreet's 
version  of  his  operations  on  July  2,  published  so  long 
ago  as  1877,  only  twelve  years  after  Appomattox  and 
two  decades  before  he  knew  the  tenor  of  Pendleton's 
report.  It  was  given  to  the  world  long  before  the  pub 
lication  of  the  official  records  by  the  government,  to 
which  he  could  therefore  have  had  no  access.  How 
closely  he  is  confirmed  in  all  essential  particulars  by  the 
records  is  marvellous.  In  this  regard  it  is  to  be  noted 
that  in  all  these  controversies  his  statements  have  always 
stood  analysis  in  the  light  of  all  the  evidence  far  better 
than  those  of  his  reckless  critics.  The  following  is 
useful  because  it  comprehensively  sums  up  from  Long- 
street's  stand-point  all  the  movements  relating  to  fixing 
the  point  and  time  of  his  attack,  the  movement  and  dis 
position  of  his  troops,  and  other  incidents : 

"  General  Lee  never  in  his  life  gave  me  orders  to  open  an 
attack  at  a  specific  hour.  He  was  perfectly  satisfied  that  when  I 
had  my  troops  in  position  and  was  ordered  to  attack,  no  time 

was  ever  lost.     On  the  night  of  the  1st  I  left  him  without  any 

68 


LONGSTREET'S  VERSION  OF  THE  OPERATIONS  OF  JULY  2 

orders  at  all.  On  the  morning  of  the  2d  I  went  to  General  Lee's 
head-quarters  at  daylight  and  renewed  my  views  against  making 
an  attack.  He  seemed  resolved,  however,  and  we  discussed  the 
probable  results.  We  observed  the  position  of  the  Federals  and 
got  a  general  idea  of  the  nature  of  the  ground.  About  sunrise 
General  Lee  sent  Colonel  Venable,  of  his  staff,  to  General  Ewell's 
head-quarters,  ordering  him  to  make  a  reconnoissance  of  the 
ground  in  his  front,  with  a  view  of  making  the  main  attack  on 
his  left.  A  short  time  afterwards  he  followed  Colonel  Venable 
in  person.  He  returned  at  about  nine  o'clock  and  informed  me 
that  it  would  not  do  to  have  Ewell  open  the  attack.  He  finally 
determined  that  I  should  make  the  main  attack  on  the  extreme 
right.  It  was  fully  eleven  o'clock  when  General  Lee  arrived  at 
this  conclusion  and  ordered  the  movement.  In  the  mean  time, 
by  General  Lee's  authority,  Law's  brigade,  which  had  been  put 
upon  picket  duty,  was  ordered  to  rejoin  my  command,  and  upon 
my  suggestion  that  it  would  be  better  to  await  its  arrival,  Gen 
eral  Lee  assented.  We  waited  about  forty  minutes  for  these 
troops  and  then  moved  forward.  A  delay  of  several  hours 
occurred  in  the  march  of  the  troops.  The  cause  of  this  delay 
was  that  we  had  been  ordered  by  General  Lee  to  proceed  cau 
tiously  upon  the  forward  movement  so  as  to  avoid  being  seen 
by  the  enemy.  General  Lee  ordered  Captain  Johnston,  of  his 
engineer  corps,  to  lead  and  conduct  the  head  of  the  column. 
My  troops  therefore  moved  forward  under  guidance  of  a  special 
officer  of  General  Lee,  and  with  instructions  to  follow  his  direc 
tions.  I  left  General  Lee  only  after  the  line  had  stretched  out 
on  the  march,  and  rode  along  with  Hood's  division,  which  was 
in  the  rear.  The  march  was  necessarily  slow,  the  conductor  fre 
quently  encountering  points  that  exposed  the  troops  to  the  view 
of  the  signal  station  on  Round  Top.  At  length  the  column 
halted. 

"  After  waiting  some  time,  supposing  that  it  would  soon  move 
forward,  I  sent  to  the  front  to  inquire  the  occasion  of  the  delay. 
It  was  reported  that  the  column  was  awaiting  the  movements  of 
Captain  Johnston,  who  was  trying  to  lead  it  by  some  route  by 
which  it  could  pursue  its  march  without  falling  under  view  of 
the  Federal  signal  station.  Looking  up  towards  Round  Top, 

I  saw  that  the  signal  station  was  in  full  view,  and,  as  we  could 

69 


LEE   AND   LONGSTREET  AT   HlGH    TlDE 

plainly  see  this  station,  it  was  apparent  that  our  heavy  columns 
were  seen  from  their  position  and  that  further  efforts  to  conceal 
ourselves  would  be  a  waste  of  time. 

"  I  became  very  impatient  at  this  delay,  and  determined  to 
take  upon  myself  the  responsibility  of  hurrying  the  troops  for 
ward.  I  did  not  order  General  McLaws  forward  because,  as 
the  head  of  the  column,  he  had  direct  orders  from  General  Lee 
to  follow  the  conduct  of  Colonel  Johnston.  Therefore  I  sent 
orders  to  Hood,  who  was  in  the  rear  and  not  encumbered  by  these 
instructions,  to  push  his  division  forward  by  the  most  direct 
route  so  as  to  take  position  on  my  right.  He  did  so,  and  thus 
broke  up  the  delay.  The  troops  were  rapidly  thrown  into  posi 
tion  and  preparations  were  made  for  the  attack. 

"  We  had  learned  on  the  night  of  the  1st,  from  some  prisoners 
captured  near  Seminary  Ridge,  that  the  First,  Eleventh,  and 
Third  Corps  had  arrived  by  the  Emmitsburg  road  and  had 
taken  position  on  the  heights  in  front  of  us,  and  that  reinforce 
ments  had  been  seen  coming  by  the  Baltimore  road  just  after 
the  fight  of  the  1st.  From  an  intercepted  despatch  we  learned 
that  another  corps  was  in  camp  about  four  miles  from  the  field. 
We  had  every  reason,  therefore,  to  believe  that  the  Federals  were 
prepared  to  renew  the  battle.  Our  army  was  stretched  in  an 
elliptical  curve,  reaching  from  the  front  of  Round  Top  around 
Seminary  Ridge,  and  enveloping  Cemetery  Heights  on  the  left; 
thus  covering  a  space  of  four  or  five  miles.  The  enemy  occupied 
the  high  ground  in  front  of  us,  being  massed  within  a  curve  of 
about  two  miles,  nearly  concentric  with  the  curve  described  by 
our  forces.  His  line  was  about  fourteen  hundred  yards  from 
ours.  Any  one  will  see  that  the  proposition  for  this  inferior 
force  to  assault  and  drive  out  the  masses  of  troops  upon  the 
heights  was  a  very  problematical  one.  My  orders  from  General 
Lee  were  *  to  envelop  the  enemy's  left  and  begin  the  attack  there, 
following  up  as  near  as  possible  the  direction  of  the  Emmitsburg 
road.' 

"  My  corps  occupied  our  right,  with  Hood  on  the  extreme 
right  and  McLaws  next.  Hill's  corps  was  next  to  mine,  in 
front  of  the  Federal  centre,  and  Ewell  was  on  our  extreme  left. 
My  corps,  with  Pickett's  division  absent,  numbered  hardly  thir 
teen  thousand  men.  I  realized  that  the  fight  was  to  be  a  fearful 

70 


PENDLETON'S  REPORT 

one;  but  being  assured  that  my  flank  would  be  protected  by 
the  brigades  of  Wilcox,  Perry,  Wright,  Posey,  and  Mahone, 
moving  en  echelon,  and  that  Ewell  was  to  co-operate  by  a  direct 
attack  on  the  enemy's  right,  and  Hill  to  threaten  his  centre  and 
attack  if  opportunity  offered,  and  thus  prevent  reinforcements 
from  being  launched  either  against  myself  or  Ewell,  it  seemed 
that  we  might  possibly  dislodge  the  great  army  in  front  of  us." 


CHAPTER   VI 

PENDLETON'S  REPORT 

"  Pendleton's  report  will  destroy  many  illusions  of  Lee's  misguided 
friends  who  are  unwittingly  doing  deadly  injury  to  his  military 
fame  by  magnifying  the  mistakes  of  Gettysburg  and  ascribing  them 
to  another." — LESLIE  J.  PERRY,  formerly  of  the  War  Records  De 
partment. 

THERE  is  even  more  positive  proof  than  has  yet  been 
produced.  That  Lee  gave  no  such  order  as  described  in 
Pendleton's  Lexington  lecture,  or  for  an  "  early  at 
tack,"  as  asserted  by  Gordon  now,  is  absolutely  proved 
by  an  official  report  of  Gettysburg,  penned  by  General 
Pendleton  himself.  That  Pendleton  was  an  oral  falsi 
fier  of  history  is  established  by  his  own  hand,  under  date 
of  September  12,  1863,  only  nine  weeks  after  the  battle. 

Confident  in  his  own  rectitude  of  purpose  and  con 
duct,  and  far  from  being  an  expert  controversialist,  for 
he  was  without  guile  himself,  it  is  not  at  all  singular 
that  the  significance  of  Pendleton's  report  in  connection 
with  the  Lexington  story  should  for  years  have  entirely 
escaped  General  Longstreet's  notice.  He  knew  that  the 
document  was  printed  in  its  sequence  in  the  Gettysburg 
volumes  of  the  War  Records,  and  for  certain  purposes 
had  even  quoted  from  it  regarding  other  questions.  He 
was  also  fully  aware  that  General  Pendleton  had  long 

71 


LEE   AND   LONGSTREET  AT   HlGH    TlDE 

been  distinguished  for  the  unreliability  of  his  memory. 
Nevertheless  General  Longstreet  had  never  analyzed 
the  report  to  the  extent  of  observing  that  it  made  ridicu 
lous  the  reverend  gentleman's  version  of  1873. 

It  is  most  striking  that  the  extraordinary  tenor  of 
this  old  Pendletonian  exhumation  of  the  War  Records 
office  in  Washington  should  so  long  have  passed  entirely 
unnoticed  by  everybody,  despite  the  researches  of  the 
most  industrious.  It  remained  for  Mr.  Leslie  J.  Perry, 
one  of  the  historical  experts  then  in  charge  of  the 
government  publication  of  the  Union  and  Confederate 
records  of  the  Civil  War,  to  point  out  some  nine  years 
ago  how  glaringly  the  Pendleton  report  of  1863  stul 
tified  the  Pendleton  story  of  1873. 

The  immediate  result  of  the  exploitation  of  the  Pen 
dleton  report  was  the  elimination  of  the  sunrise  story 
from  the  repertory  of  the  anti-Longstreet  crusaders. 
In  the  subsequent  literature  of  the  subject  a  decided 
change  of  tone  regarding  other  allegations  was  soon 
perceived,  more  favorable  to  Longstreet.  General 
Longstreet  was  astounded  by  this  bald  disclosure  of 
his  old  military  associate's  tergiversation,  to  call  it 
nothing  worse.  For  a  time  after  the  appearance  of  the 
Lexington  story,  he  had  charitably  presumed  that,  in  an 
excess  of  zeal  to  protect  General  Lee's  military  fame, 
Pendleton  might  really  have  harbored  in  good  faith  the 
belief  that  his  Lexington  statements  were  true.  But 
after  reading  the  detailed  analysis  of  the  Pendleton 
report,  and  carefully  studying  the  report  itself,  General 
Longstreet  speedily  arrived  at  the  conclusion  that  he 
was  the  victim  of  a  deliberate  conspiracy.  It  is  not 
strange  that  he  found  it  hard  to  forgive  the  conspira 
tors,  even  after  becoming  fully  aware  that  the  world 
was  practically  convinced  that  he  had  been  cruelly  mis 
represented. 

Let  us  see  how  "  fairly"  Pendleton  stated  the  case 

73 


PENDLETON'S  REPORT 

against  General  Longstreet  in  his  Lexington  lecture. 
His  official  report  *  of  Gettysburg  was  written  only 
about  sixty  days  after  the  battle.  It  was  dated  Sep 
tember  12,  1863.  It  is  a  detailed  report  of  the  opera 
tions  of  the  Confederate  artillery  in  the  Pennsylvania 
campaign,  embodying  a  minute  description  of  General 
Pendleton's  personal  movements  on  that  day.  That  is 
its  only  value  to  this  discussion.  The  paragraphs  having 
a  bearing  upon  the  time  of  Longstreet's  attack  are  as 
follows : 

"  From  the  farthest  occupied  point  on  the  right  and  front, 
in  company  with  Colonels  Long  and  Walker  and  Captain  John 
ston  (engineer),  soon  after  sunrise  I  surveyed  the  enemy's  posi 
tion  towards  some  estimate  of  the  ground  and  best  mode  of 
attack.  So  far  as  judgment  could  be  formed  from  such  a  view, 
assault  on  the  enemy's  left  by  our  extreme  right  might  succeed, 
should  the  mountain  there  offer  no  insuperable  obstacle.  The 
attack  on  that  side,  if  practicable,  I  understood  to  be  the  pur 
pose  of  the  commanding  general. 

"  Returning  from  this  position  more  to  the  right  and  rear, 
for  the  sake  of  tracing  more  exactly  the  mode  of  approach,  I 
proceeded  some  distance  along  the  ravine  road  noticed  the  pre 
vious  evening,  and  was  made  aware  of  having  entered  the 
enemy's  lines  by  meeting  two  armed  dismounted  cavalrymen. 
Apparently  surprised,  they  immediately  surrendered,  and  were 
disarmed  and  sent  to  the  rear. 

"  Having  satisfied  myself  of  the  course  and  character  of  this 
road,  I  returned  to  an  elevated  point  on  the  Fail-field  road,  which 
furnished  a  very  extensive  view,  and  despatched  messengers  to 
General  Longstreet  and  the  commanding  general.  This  front 
was,  after  some  time,  examined  by  Colonel  Smith  and  Captain 
Johnston  (engineers),  and  about  midday  General  Longstreet 
arrived  and  viewed  the  ground.  He  desired  Colonel  Alexander 
to  obtain  the  best  view  he  then  could  of  the  front.  I  therefore 

*  For  General  Pendleton's  official  report,  see  Part  II.,  Vol.  XXVII., 
War  Records,  pp.  346-354.  That  is  the  volume  in  which  will  be  found 
all  the  other  Confederate  reports  referred  to  in  the  text. 

73 


LEE   AND   LONGSTREET   AT   HlGH    TlDE 

conducted  the  colonel  to  the  advanced  point  of  observation  pre 
viously  visited.  Its  approach  was  now  more  hazardous  from 
the  fire  of  the  enemy's  sharp-shooters,  so  that  special  caution 
was  necessary  in  making  the  desired  observation.  Just  then  a 
sharp  contest  occurred  in  the  woods  to  the  right  and  rear  of  this 
forward  point.  Anderson's  division,  Third  Corps,  had  moved 
up  and  was  driving  the  enemy  from  these  woods.  These  woods 
having  thus  been  cleared  of  the  enemy,  some  view  of  the  ground 
beyond  them,  and  much  farther  to  the  right  than  had  yet  been 
examined,  seemed  practicable.  I  therefore  rode  in  that  direc 
tion,  and  when  about  to  enter  the  woods,  met  the  commanding 
general  en  route  himself  to  survey  the  ground. 

"  There  being  here  still  a  good  deal  of  sharp-shooting,  the 
front  had  to  be  examined  with  caution.  .  .  .  Having  noticed 
the  field  and  the  enemy's  batteries,  etc.,  I  returned  to  General 
Longstreet  for  the  purpose  of  conducting  his  column  to  this 
point,  and  supervising,  as  might  be  necessary,  the  disposition 
of  his  artillery.  He  was  advancing  by  the  ravine  road  (as  most 
out  of  view),  time  having  already  been  lost  in  attempting 
another,  which  proved  objectionable  because  exposed  to  obser 
vation.  On  learning  the  state  of  facts  ahead,  the  general  halted, 
and  sent  back  to  hasten  his  artillery.  Members  of  my  staff  were 
also  despatched  to  remedy,  as  far  as  practicable,  the  delay. 
Cabell's,  Alexander's,  and  Henry's  battalions  at  length  arrived, 
and  the  whole  column  moved  towards  the  enemy's  left.  .  .  .  The 
enemy  opened  a  furious  cannonade,  the  course  of  which  rendered 
necessary  a  change  in  the  main  artillery  column.  Cabell's  de 
flected  to  the  left,  while  Alexander's  was  mainly  parked  for  a 
season,  somewhat  under  cover,  till  it  could  advance  to  better  pur 
pose.  .  .  .  Soon  after,  at  about  4  P.M.,  the  general  assault  was 
made." 

Here  is  the  whole  of  Pendleton's  celebrated  report, 
so  far  as  it  bears  upon  the  hour  of  Longstreet's  attack 
on  the  2d  of  July.  Nothing  is  omitted  relating  to  the 
preliminary  movements  of  Longstreet's  column  of  at 
tack,  or  that  in  any  manner  modifies  the  tenor  of  the 
parts  introduced. 

74 


PEXDLETON'S  UNRELIABLE  MEMORY 


CHAPTER   VII 

PENDLETON'S  UNRELIABLE  MEMORY 

All  the  battle  worthy  the  name  for  the  Southern  cause  at  Gettys 
burg  on  the  2d  and  3d  was  made  by  Longstreet.  The  whole  super 
structure  of  the  contentions  against  his  honor  as  a  soldier  is  based 
solely  on  the  statements  since  the  war,  and  since  Lee's  death,  of  two 
or  three  obscure  individuals.  They  are  easily  exploded  by  the  rec 
ords  of  the  battles ;  they  are  corroborated  by  none. 

WHEN  the  Rev.  Dr.  Pendleton  told  that  dramatic 
story  to  his  breathless  hearers  at  Lexington  in  1873, 
under  "  pressure  of  imperative  duty,"  had  he  forgotten 
the  tenor  of  his  official  report,  made  in  1863?  The  story 
as  modified  by  the  prior  report  forms  the  greatest  anti 
climax  in  all  history.  Several  decisive  facts  are  dis 
closed  by  this  unbiassed  report. 

1.  Instead  of  being  dilatory  and  obstructive,  Pendle 
ton  himself  establishes  that  Longstreet  was  personally 
exerting  himself  to  "  hasten  forward"  the  very  artillery 
of  which  he,  Pendleton,  was  the  chief. 

2.  As  late  certainly  as  eleven  o'clock,  if  not  noon, 
General  Lee  and  his  staff-officers  were  still  rambling 
all  over  a  front  six  miles  long,  yet  undetermined  either 
as  to  the  point  or  proper  route  of  attack.     According 
to  both  Pendleton  and  Venable,  they  did  not  begin  this 
necessary  preliminary  survey  until  "  about  sunrise,"  the 
specific  hour  at  which  General  Lee  on  the  night  previ 
ous  had  already  ordered  Longstreet  to  begin  his  attack, 
as  asserted  by  Pendleton  at  Lexington. 

3.  Not  until  Lee  and  Pendleton  had  devoted  the  en 
tire  forenoon  to  the  examination  of  the  ground,  did 
Pendleton  go  to  conduct  Longstreet  to  the  point  of 

75 


LEE  AND   LONGSTEEET  AT   HlGH   TlDE 

attack  thereupon  decided  upon.  Evidently  Longstreet 
was  not  delaying  action ;  he  was  awaiting  their  motions. 
The  following  general  conclusions  upon  the  state 
of  facts  disclosed  by  Pendleton's  remarkable  report  are 
therefore  inevitable  and  unavoidable. 

1.  At  sunrise  of  the  2d,  General  Lee  himself  did  not 
know  where  to  attack.    He  did  not  know  as  late  as  ten 
or  eleven  o'clock.     His  mind  was  not  fully  made  up 
until  after  he  came  back  from  E well's  front  (about  nine 
o'clock,  according  to  all  authorities),  and  had  made  the 
final  examination  on  the  right.     General  Longstreet 
says  he  received  his  orders  to  move  about  eleven  o'clock, 
and  this  corresponds  with  Pendleton's  report.    But  if 
anything,  it  was  later,  rather  than  earlier. 

2.  These    painstaking,    time-consuming    reconnois- 
sances  of  the  commanding  general  and  his  staff-officers, 
the  journey  of  Colonel  Venable  to  Ewell,  three  miles  to 
the  left,  and  Lee's  later  visit  to  Ewell,  together  with 
the  unavoidable  absence  of  General  Longstreet's  troops 
until  late  in  the  morning,  prove  absolutely  that  Lee 
issued  no  order  for  Longstreet  to  attack  at  any  specific 
hour  on  July  2. 

3.  Longstreet's  preliminary  movements  from  start 
to  finish  were  under  the  personal  supervision  of  Lee's 
confidential  staff-officer,  Pendleton,  and  the  subordi 
nate  staff -officers.    So  Longstreet  has  positively  stated, 
so  has  General  McLaws,  and  both  are  confirmed  by 
Pendleton's  report.     The  staff  guide  caused  a  loss  of 
three  hours  by  putting  the  head  of  McLaws's  column 
upon  a  wrong  road.     This  compelled  Longstreet  to 
"  hasten  matters"  by  assuming  personal  direction  of  the 
movement,  and  pushing  Hood's  division  rapidly  to  the 
front  past  McLaws. 

4.  Pendleton's  official  utterances  make  it  an  "  estab 
lished  fact"  that  General  Longstreet  made  his  tremen 
dous  and  successful  attack  on  July  2  at  the  earliest  mo- 

76 


PENDLETON'S  UNRELIABLE  MEMOEY 

ment  possible  after  receiving  Lee's  orders  to  advance, 
under  the  conditions  imposed  by  Lee, — viz.,  to  be  con 
ducted  to  the  point  of  attack  by  Pendleton  himself  and 
the  other  staff-officers. 

Thus  the  misapprehensions  respecting  Longstreet's 
great  part  at  Gettysburg  were  cleared  away,  and  a  bet 
ter  general  understanding  of  what  actually  occurred 
was  obtained  from  the  Rev.  Mr.  Pendleton's  report  of 
September  12,  1863.  Few  military  students  now  hold 
that  Longstreet  was  in  the  remotest  degree  culpable  for 
Lee's  defeat.  On  the  contrary,  most  of  them  severely 
criticise  Lee's  operations  from  start  to  finish,  particu 
larly  the  hopeless  assaults  he  persisted  in  making,  and 
for  the  lack  of  concert.  It  is  held  generally  now  that 
the  dreadful  result  fully  justified  Longstreet's  protests 
against  attacking  the  Federals  in  that  position,  and  that 
his  suggestion  of  a  turning  movement  was  far  more 
promising  of  success. 

In  all  the  circumstances  it  is  not  only  entirely  im 
probable,  but  the  developed  facts  of  the  battle  make  it 
impossible  that  "  General  Lee  died  believing  that  he  lost 
Gettysburg  at  last  by  Longstreet's  disobedience  of 
orders."  Longstreet  disobeyed  no  orders  at  Gettys 
burg,  and  Lee  was  well  aware  of  the  fact.  General 
Gordon  has  simply  reiterated  the  claque  set  up  after 
Lee's  death  by  his  fond  admirers  to  shift  the  respon 
sibility  of  defeat  from  his  shoulders  upon  Longstreet. 
It  was  necessary  to  the  success  of  that  folly  to  make  the 
world  believe  Lee  always  quietly  held  that  view,  and 
only  imparted  it  in  the  strictest  confidence  to  close 
friends  like  the  ex-army  chaplain,  Rev.  J.  William 
Jones,  and  the  Rev.  William  N.  Pendleton. 

The  evidence  is  totally  insufficient.  Its  gauzy  char 
acter  is  fully  exposed  by  the  Pendleton  report.  But 
apocryphal  after-war  evidence  of  this  kind  was  the  only 
reliance  of  the  conspirators.  It  is  absolutely  certain 

77 


LEE   AND   LONGSTREET   AT   HlGH    TlDE 

that  there  is  no  evidence  of  any  such  belief  in  any  of 
Lee's  official  utterances  during  the  progress  of  the  war, 
nor  a  hint  of  it  in  his  private  correspondence  then  or 
afterwards,  so  far  as  has  been  produced.  The  whole 
superstructure  of  the  contention  is  based  solely  on  the 
statements  since  the  war,  and  since  Lee's  death,  of  two 
or  three  obscure  individuals.  Pendleton's  Lexington 
yarn  is  an  example.  They  are  easily  exploded  by  the 
records  of  the  battle;  they  are  corroborated  by  none. 
All  the  battle  worthy  the  name  for  the  Southern  cause 
at  Gettysburg  on  the  2d  and  3d  was  made  by  Long- 
street. 

Another  evidence  of  the  falsehoods  concerning  Long- 
street's  disobedience  and  Lee's  alleged  belief  is  found 
in  the  relations  of  the  two  men.  Their  personal  friend 
ship  continued  after  Gettysburg  as  it  was  before.  It 
was  of  the  closest  and  most  cordial  description.  Gen 
eral  Lee  always  manifested  the  highest  regard  for 
General  Longstreet,  and  continued  to  manifest  undi- 
minished  confidence  in  his  military  capacity,  fighting 
qualities,  and  subordination.  There  is  no  manifestation 
of  a  withdrawal  of  that  confidence  after  Gettysburg. 
I  here  cite  a  few  illustrations  of  their  relations  after 
Gettysburg.  Just  after  his  corps  was  ordered  to  rein 
force  Bragg  before  Chattanooga,  Longstreet  wrote 
Lee  from  Richmond,  where  he  had  temporarily  stopped 
on  his  journey  to  the  new  field: 

"  If  I  did  not  think  our  move  a  necessary  one,  my  regrets  at 
leaving  you  would  be  distressing  to  me.  .  .  .  Our  affections  for 
you  are  stronger,  if  it  is  possible  for  them  to  be  stronger,  than 
our  admiration  for  you." 

After  the  battle  of  Chickamauga  Lee  wrote  to  Long- 
street  : 

"...  My  whole  heart  and  soul  have  been  with  you  and  your 
brave  corps  in  your  late  battle.  .  .  .  Finish  the  work  before 

78 


{  UNIVERSITY  J 


PENDLETON'S  UNRELIABLE  MEMORY 

you,  my  dear  General,  and  return  to  me.     I  want  you  badly, 
and  you  cannot  get  back  too  soon." 

These  letters,  printed  in  the  official  records,  were 
written  less  than  ninety  days  after  the  battle  of  Gettys 
burg. 

"  I  want  you  badly"  does  not  indicate  that  Long- 
street  had  ever  failed  General  Lee.  They  are  signifi 
cant  words,  so  soon  after  the  event  wherein  Longstreet, 
by  mere  obstinacy  and  obduracy,  had  defeated  his 
chief's  plans,  if  we  may  believe  Gordon,  Pendleton,  and 
Jones.  After  the  forlorn  campaign  in  East  Tennessee 
against  overwhelming  numbers,  when  General  Long- 
street  was  on  his  way  back  to  the  Army  of  Northern 
Virginia  with  his  troops  to  aid  in  repelling  Grant,  Lee's 
adjutant-general  wrote  him  as  follows  at  Gordons ville 
or  Orange  Court-House: 

"  HEAD-QUARTERS  ARMY  or  NORTHERK  VIRGIKIA, 
"AprU  26,  1864. 

"  MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — I  have  received  your  note  of  yester 
day  and  have  consulted  the  General  about  reviewing  your  com 
mand.  He  directs  me  to  say  that  he  has  written  to  the  President 
to  know  if  he  can  visit  and  review  the  army  this  week,  and  until 
his  reply  is  received,  the  General  cannot  say  when  he  can  visit 
you.  He  is  anxious  to  see  you,  and  it  will  give  him  much 
pleasure  to  meet  you  and  your  corps  once  more.  He  hopes  soon 
to  be  able  to  do  this,  and  I  will  give  you  due  notice  when  he  can 
come.  I  really  am  beside  myself,  General,  with  joy  of  having 
you  back.  It  is  like  the  reunion  of  a  family. 

"  Truly  and  respectfully  yours, 

"W.  H.  TAYLOR,  A.A.G. 

"  To  GENERAL  LONGSTREET." 

After  the  war  was  over  and  the  Southern  cause  lost, 
there  are  warm  letters  from  General  Lee,  written  be 
fore  Longstreet  had  accepted  appointment  at  the  hands 
of  a  Republican  President.  A  few  months  after  the 
surrender  General  Lee  wrote : 

79 


LEE  AND   LONGSTBEET  AT   IllGIl    TlDE 


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81 


LEE   AND   LONGSTREET  AT   HlGH    TlDE 

"If  you  become  as  good  a  merchant  as  you  were  a 
soldier  I  shall  be  content.  No  one  will  then  excel  you, 
and  no  one  can  wish  you  more  success  and  more  happi 
ness  than  I.  My  interest  and  affection  for  you  will 
never  cease,  and  my  prayers  are  always  offered  for  your 
prosperity."  Strange  words  from  the  commander  to 
the  subordinate  whose  disobedience  at  Gettysburg,  ac 
cording  to  Rev.  Dr.  Pendleton  and  others,  led  the  way 
to  Appomattox. 

While  General  Longstreet  held  General  Lee  to  be 
a  great  strategist,  he  thought  him  to  be  less  able  as  an 
offensive  battle  tactician.  Those  views  are  shared  by 
many  other  military  officers,  who  have  of  late  given 
free  expression  to  them.  The  Gettysburg  controversies, 
followed  by  such  criticisms,  led  to  the  belief  that  Long- 
street  was  the  open  enemy  of  Lee's  fame,  and  lost  no 
opportunity  to  maliciously  decry  his  military  ability. 
But  this  is  a  mistake.  General  Longstreet's  intimate 
friends  know  that  he  has  always  born  for  General  Lee 
the  most  profound  love  and  respect,  both  as  a  man  and 
as  a  commander.  His  views  of  Lee's  military  capacity 
are  discriminating  and  just,  and  they  are  probably  cor 
rect.  Longstreet  saw  things  military  with  a  practical 
eye.  A  fine  professional  soldier  himself,  who  had  taken 
hard  knocks  on  many  great  fields,  he  clearly  discerned 
General  Lee's  incomparable  attributes  as  a  commander, 
and  was  never  loath  to  praise  them.  He  also  knew  Lee's 
weaknesses,  and  has  sometimes  spoken  of  them,  but 
never  in  malice  or  contemptuously.  Those  who  read 
his  utterances  in  that  sense  are  very  narrow  indeed.  He 
has  never,  like  the  mass  of  Southerners,  looked  upon 
Lee  as  infallible,  yet  in  one  particular  Longstreet  has 
held  him  to  be  one  of  the  very  greatest  of  commanders. 

As  an  example  of  General  Longstreet's  estimate  of 
Lee's  professional  place  in  history,  one  of  his  interviews 
when  on  a  visit  to  the  Antietam  battle-field,  published 

82 


PENDLETON'S  UNRELIABLE  MEMORY 

a  few  years  ago,  is  quoted:  "  General  Lee,  as  a  rule, 
did  not  underestimate  his  opponents  or  the  fighting 
qualities  of  the  Federal  troops.  But  after  Chancellors- 
ville  he  came  to  have  unlimited  confidence  in  his  own 
army,  and  undoubtedly  exaggerated  its  capacity  to 
overcome  obstacles,  to  march,  to  fight,  to  bear  up  under 
deprivations  and  exhaustion.  It  was  a  dangerous  con 
fidence.  I  think  every  officer  who  served  under  him 
will  unhesitatingly  agree  with  me  on  this  point." 

In  answer  to  a  question  as  to  which  he  regarded  as 
Lee's  best  battle:  "  Well,  perhaps  the  second  battle  of 
Manassas  was,  all  things  considered,  the  best  tactical 
battle  General  Lee  ever  fought.  The  grand  strategy 
of  the  campaign  was  also  fine,  and  seems  to  have  com 
pletely  deceived  General  Pope.  Indeed,  Pope  failed 
to  comprehend  Lee's  purpose  from  start  to  finish. 
Pope  was  outgeneralled  and  outclassed  by  Lee,  and 
through  improper  dispositions  his  fine  army  was  out 
fought.  Still,  it  will  not  do  to  underrate  Pope ;  he  was 
an  enterprising  soldier  and  a  fighter." 

General  Longstreet,  in  the  interview  at  Antietam, 
summed  up  Lee's  characteristics  as  a  commander  in  the 
following  succinct  manner:  "  General  Lee  was  a  large- 
minded  man,  of  great  and  profound  learning  in  the 
science  of  war.  In  all  strategical  movements  he  han 
dled  a  great  army  with  comprehensive  ability  and  signal 
success.  His  campaigns  against  McClellan  and  Pope 
fully  illustrate  his  capacity.  On  the  defensive  General 
Lee  was  absolutely  perfect.  Reconciled  to  the  single 
purpose  of  defence,  he  was  invincible.  But  of  the  art 
of  war,  more  particularly  that  of  giving  offensive  battle, 
I  do  not  think  General  Lee  was  a  master.  In  science 
and  military  learning  he  was  greatly  the  superior  of 
.General  Grant,  or  any  other  commander  on  either  side. 
But  in  the  art  of  war  I  have  no  doubt  that  Grant  and 
several  other  officers  were  his  equals.  In  the  field  his 

83 


LEE  AND   LONGSTREET  AT   HlGH    TlDE 

characteristic  fault  was  headlong  combativeness.  His 
impatience  to  strike,  once  in  the  presence  of  the  enemy, 
whatever  the  disparity  of  forces  or  relative  conditions, 
I  consider  the  one  weakness  of  General  Lee's  military 
character.  This  trait  of  aggressiveness  led  him  to  take 
too  many  chances — into  dangerous  situations.  At  Get 
tysburg,  all  the  vast  interests  at  stake  and  the  improba 
bility  of  success  would  not  deter  him.  In  the  immediate 
presence  of  the  enemy  General  Lee's  mind,  at  all  other 
times  calm  and  clear,  became  excited.  The  same  may 
be  said  of  most  other  highly  educated,  theoretical 
soldiers.  General  Lee  had  the  absolute  confidence  of 
his  own  troops,  and  the  most  unquestioning  support 
of  his  subordinates.  He  was  wholesomely  feared  by 
the  Federal  rank  and  file,  who  undoubtedly  considered 
him  the  easy  superior  of  their  own  generals.  These 
were  tremendous  advantages." 

It  is  very  difficult  to  detect  malice  or  hatred  in  these 
calm  and  dispassionate  conclusions. 

It  is  most  probable  that  General  Longstreet  would 
have  never  written  or  uttered  one  word  concerning 
Gettysburg  had  it  not  been  for  the  attempt  of  wordy 
soldiers  to  specifically  fix  upon  him  the  whole  burden 
of  that  battle,  their  rashness  carrying  them  so  far  as 
to  lead  them  to  put  false  orders  in  the  mouth  of  the 
great  captain,  and  charge  Longstreet  with  having 
broken  them.  To  disprove  these  untrue  assertions,  and 
to  give  the  world  the  truth  concerning  the  battle,  then 
became  what  General  Longstreet  considered  an  impera 
tive  duty.  He  has  always  regretted  deeply  that  this 
discussion  was  not  opened  before  the  death  of  General 
Lee.  If  the  charges  so  vehemently  urged  had  been  pre 
ferred  or  even  suggested  in  Lee's  lifetime,  Longstreet 
does  not  believe  they  would  have  needed  any  reply  from 
him.  General  Lee  would  have  answered  them  himself 
and  set  history  right. 

84 


GENERAL  LONGSTREET'S  AMERICANISM 

But  after  all,  Longstreet  does  not  fear  the  verdict  of 
history  on  Gettysburg.  He  holds  that  time  sets  all 
things  right.  Error  lives  but  a  day — truth  is  eternal. 


CHAPTER   VIII 

GENERAL,   LONGSTREEl's  AMERICANISM 

"  The  strongest  laws  are  those  established  by  the  sword.  The 
ideas  that  divided  political  parties  before  the  war — upon  the  rights 
of  the  States — were  thoroughly  discussed  by  our  wisest  statesmen, 
and  eventually  appealed  to  the  arbitrament  of  the  sword.  The 
decision  was  in  favor  of  the  North,  so  that  her  construction  becomes 
the  law,  and  should  be  so  accepted." — GENERAL  LONGSTREET  in 
"  From  Manassas  to  Appomattox." 

IT  seems  advisable  here  to  introduce  General  Long- 
street's  personal  version  of  the  animus  of  the  after-the- 
war  criticism  of  his  operations  on  the  field  of  Gettys 
burg,  taken  from  his  war  history,  "  From  Manassas  to 
Appomattox :" 

"  As  the  whole  animus  of  the  latter-day  adverse  criti 
cisms  upon,  and  uncritical  assertions  in  regard  to,  the 
commander  of  the  First  Corps  of  the  Army  of  Northern 
Virginia  had  its  origin  in  this  matter  of  politics,  a  brief 
review  of  the  circumstances  is  in  order. 

"As  will  be  readily  recalled  by  my  older  readers  (while 
for  the  younger  it  is  a  matter  of  history),  President 
Johnson,  after  the  war,  adopted  a  reconstruction  policy 
of  his  own,  and  some  of  the  States  were  reorganized 
under  it  with  Democratic  governors  and  legislatures, 
and  all  would  have  followed.  But  Congress,  being 
largely  Republican,  was  not  satisfied,  and  enacted  that 
the  States  could  not  be  accepted  unless  they  provided 
in  their  new  constitutions  for  negro  suffrage.  In  case 
they  would  not,  the  State  governments  should  be  re 
moved  and  the  States  placed  in  the  hands  of  general 
officers  of  the  army  as  military  governors,  who  should 

85 


LEE   AND   LONGSTEEET   AT   HlGH    TlDE 

see  that  the  States  were  reorganized  and  restored  to  the 
Union  under  the  laws. 

:<  Under  the  severe  ordeal  one  of  the  city  papers  of 
New  Orleans  called  upon  the  generals  of  Confederate 
service  to  advise  the  people  of  the  course  that  they 
should  pursue, — naming  the  officers.  I  thought  it  bet 
ter  policy  to  hold  the  States,  as  they  were  organized, 
under  the  President's  policy,  shape  their  constitutions 
as  directed  by  Congress,  and  have  the  States  not  yet 
reorganized  follow  the  same  course.  My  letter  upon 
the  subject  was  as  follows: 


' '  NEW  OBLEAHS,  LA.,  June  3,  1867. 
"  '  J.  M.  G.  PARKER,  ESQ.  : 

"  '  DEAR  SIR, — Your  esteemed  favor  of  the  15th  ultimo  was 
duly  received. 

"  '  I  was  much  pleased  to  have  the  opportunity  to  hear  Senator 
Wilson,  and  was  agreeably  surprised  to  meet  such  fairness  and 
frankness  from  a  politician  whom  I  had  been  taught  to  believe 
harsh  in  his  feelings  towards  the  people  of  the  South. 

"  '  I  have  considered  your  suggestion  to  wisely  unite  in  efforts 
to  restore  Louisiana  to  her  former  position  in  the  Union, 
"  through  the  party  now  in  power."  My  letter  of  the  6th  of 
April,  to  which  you  refer,  clearly  indicates  a  desire  for  prac 
tical  reconstruction  and  reconciliation.  There  is  only  one  route 
left  open,  which  practical  men  cannot  fail  to  see. 

"  '  The  serious  difficulty  arises  from  want  of  that  wisdom  so 
important  for  the  great  work  in  hand.  Still,  I  will  be  happy  to 
work  in  any  harness  that  promises  relief  to  our  discomfited 
people  and  harmony  to  the  nation,  whether  bearing  the  mantle 
of  Mr.  Davis  or  Mr.  Sumner. 

"  '  It  is  fair  to  assume  that  the  strongest  laws  are  those  estab 
lished  by  the  sword.  The  ideas  that  divided  political  parties 
before  the  war — upon  the  rights  of  the  States — were  thor 
oughly  discussed  by  our  wisest  statesmen,  and  eventually  ap 
pealed  to  the  arbitrament  of  the  sword.  The  decision  was  in 
favor  of  the  North,  so  that  her  construction  becomes  the  law, 

and  should  be  so  accepted. 

86 


GENERAL  LONGSTREET'S  AMERICANISM 

"  *  The  military  bill  and  amendments  are  the  only  peace-offer 
ings  they  have  for  us,  and  should  be  accepted  as  the  starting- 
point  for  future  issues. 

"  '  Like  others  of  the  South  not  previously  connected  with 
politics,  I  naturally  acquiesced  in  the  ways  of  Democracy,  but, 
so  far  as  I  can  judge,  there  is  nothing  tangible  in  them,  be 
yond  the  issues  that  were  put  to  test  in  the  war  and  there  lost. 
As  there  is  nothing  left  to  take  hold  of  except  prejudice,  which 
cannot  be  worked  for  good  for  any  one,  it  seems  proper  and 
right  that  we  should  seek  some  standing  which  may  encourage 
hope  for  the  future. 

"  '  If  I  appreciate  the  issues  of  Democracy  at  this  moment, 
they  are  the  enfranchisement  of  the  negro  and  the  rights  of 
Congress  in  the  premises,  but  the  acts  have  been  passed,  are 
parts  of  the  laws  of  the  land,  and  no  power  but  Congress  can 
remove  them. 

"  '  Besides,  if  we  now  accept  the  doctrine  that  the  States  only 
can  legislate  on  suffrage,  we  will  fix  the  negro  vote  upon  us, 
for  he  is  now  a  suffragan,  and  his  vote,  with  the  vote  that  will 
go  with  him,  will  hold  to  his  rights,  while,  by  recognizing  the 
acts  of  Congress,  we  may,  after  a  fair  trial,  if  negro  suffrage 
proves  a  mistake,  appeal  and  have  Congress  correct  the  error. 
It  will  accord  better  with  wise  policy  to  insist  that  the  negro 
shall  vote  in  the  Northern  as  well  as  the  Southern  States. 

"  '  If  every  one  will  meet  the  crisis  with  proper  appreciation 
of  our  condition  and  obligations,  the  sun  will  rise  to-morrow 
on  a  happy  people.  Our  fields  will  again  begin  to  yield  their 
increase,  our  railways  and  water  will  teem  with  abundant  com 
merce,  our  towns  and  cities  will  resound  with  the  tumult  of 
trade,  and  we  will  be  reinvigorated  by  the  blessings  of  Almighty 
God. 

"  *  Very  respectfully  yours, 

"  *  JAMES  LONGSTEEET.' 

"  I  might  have  added  that  not  less  forceful  than  the 
grounds  I  gave  were  the  obligations  under  which  we 
were  placed  by  the  terms  of  our  paroles,—  •*  To  respect 
the  laws  of  Congress,' — but  the  letter  was  enough. 

"  The  afternoon  of  the  day  upon  which  my  letter  was 

87 


LEE  AND   LONGSTREET  AT   HlGH    TlDE 

published  the  paper  that  had  called  for  advice  published 
a  column  of  editorial  calling  me  traitor!  deserter  of 
my  friends!  and  accusing  me  of  joining  the  enemy! 
but  did  not  publish  a  line  of  the  letter  upon  which  it 
based  the  charges!  Other  papers  of  the  Democracy 
took  up  the  garbled  representation  of  this  journal  and 
spread  it  broadcast,  not  even  giving  the  letter  upon 
which  they  based  their  evil  attacks  upon  me. 

:<  Up  to  that  time  the  First  Corps,  in  all  of  its  parts,  in 
all  of  its  history,  was  above  reproach.  I  was  in  success 
ful  business  in  New  Orleans  as  cotton  factor,  with  a 
salary  from  an  insurance  company  of  five  thousand 
dollars  per  year. 

'  The  day  after  the  announcement  old  comrades 
passed  me  on  the  streets  without  speaking.  Business 
began  to  grow  dull.  General  Hood  (the  only  one  of 
my  old  comrades  who  occasionally  visited  me)  thought 
that  he  could  save  the  insurance  business,  and  in  a  few 
weeks  I  found  myself  at  leisure. 

'  Two  years  after  that  period,  on  March  4, 1869,  Gen 
eral  Grant  was  inaugurated  President  of  the  United 
States,  and  in  the  bigness  of  his  generous  heart  called 
me  to  Washington.  Before  I  found  opportunity  to  see 
him  he  sent  my  name  to  the  Senate  for  confirmation  as 
surveyor  of  customs  at  New  Orleans.  I  was  duly  con 
firmed,  and  held  the  office  until  1873,  when  I  resigned. 
Since  that  time  I  have  lived  in  New  Orleans,  Louisiana, 
and  in  Gainesville,  Georgia,  surrounded  by  a  few  of 
my  old  friends,  and  in  occasional  appreciative  touch 
with  others,  South  and  North." 


FINALE 


CHAPTER   IX 

FINAJLE 

Mr.  Valiant  summoned.    His  will.     His  last  words. 

Then,  said  he,  "  I  am  going  to  my  Father's.  .  .  .  My  sword  I 
give  to  him  that  shall  succeed  me  in  my  pilgrimage,  and  my  courage 
and  skill  to  him  that  can  get  it."  .  .  .  And  as  he  went  down  deeper, 
he  said,  "  Grave,  where  is  thy  victory  ?" 

So  he  passed  over,  and  all  the  trumpets  sounded  for  him  on  the 
other  side. — BUNYAN'S  "  Pilgrim's  Progress." 

THE  personal  letters  and  official  reports  of  Robert  E. 
Lee,  reproduced  in  this  work,  clearly  established  that 
from  Gettysburg  to  Appomattox  Longstreet  continued 
to  be  Lee's  most  trusted  Lieutenant;  their  mutual 
affection  and  admiration  had  no  diminution. 

The  official  reports  of  Lee  and  Pendleton  herein 
given  make  it  clear  as  noonday  that  Longstreet  dis 
obeyed  no  orders  of  his  chief  at  Gettysburg,  and  was 
at  no  time  "  slow"  or  "  obstructive"  on  that  great  field. 

The  man  who,  under  the  weight  of  official  evidence 
massed  in  this  little  story,  can  still  raise  his  voice  to 
assert  that  "  Longstreet  was  slow  and  balky"  at  Gettys 
burg,  takes  direct  issue  with  the  official  reports  of 
Robert  E.  Lee  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Pendleton,  and  his 
becomes  a  quarrel  with  the  war  records. 

Longstreet  had  unhesitatingly  thrown  up  his  com 
mission  in  the  old  army  and  joined  the  Southern  cause 
at  the  very  outset.  He  was  a  chief  participant  in  the 
first  and  last  great  scenes  of  the  drama  in  Virginia.  He 
had  copiously  shed  his  blood  for  the  South.  The  sum  of 
General  Longstreet's  offending  was,— 

1.  When  the  war  was  over  he  placed  himself  on  the 
high  plane  of  American  citizenship,  where  all  patriots 

89 


LEE   AND   LONGSTREET   AT   HlGH    TlDE 

now  stand.  He  accepted  office  at  the  hands  of  a  Re 
publican  President  (pardonable  offence  in  this  good 
day)  ;  these  were  crimes  which  the  temper  of  the  South 
could  not  condone  some  forty  years  ago. 

2.  He  had  protested  against  wrecking  the  Confeder 
ate  cause  on  the  rocks  of  Cemetery  Hill.  In  sheer  self- 
defence  he  was  compelled  to  recapitulate  in  plainest 
terms  General  Lee's  tactical  mistakes  and  their  fatal 
consequences.  To  many  that  was  a  crime  never  to  be 
forgiven.  Yet  at  the  time  and  on  the  spot  General  Lee 
was  morally  brave  enough  to  place  the  blame  where  it 
belonged, — on  his  own  shoulders.  Lee  never  sought  a 
scape-goat  for  the  mistakes  of  Gettysburg. 

This  is  the  story,  short  enough  for  the  busy;  clear 
and  straight  enough  for  the  young.  It  is  the  story  of 
sentiment  as  well  as  reverence  and  admiration,  growing 
up  from  childhood,  of  him  who  led  the  forlorn  hope  at 
Gettysburg. 

But  behind  the  sentiment  is  the  unassailable  truth. 
It  is  undeniably  the  story  of  the  records,  of  the  events 
exactly  as  they  occurred.  It  is  fully  corroborated  by 
all  the  probabilities;  in  no  part  disputed  by  one.  It  is 
the  story  told  by  General  Longstreet  himself,  and  no 
body  familiar  with  his  open  character  and  candid  man 
ner  of  discussing  its  various  phases  can  doubt  for  one 
instant  that  he  tells  the  details  of  Gettysburg  exactly 
as  they  occurred,  in  so  far  as  his  personal  part  was  con 
cerned. 

Of  him  I  would  say,  as  his  sun  slants  towards  the 
west  and  the  evening  hours  draw  near,  that  his  un 
matched  courage  to  meet  the  enemies  of  the  peace 
time  outshines  the  valor  of  the  fields  whereon  his  blood 
was  shed  so  copiously  in  the  cause  of  his  country.  I 
would  tell  him  that  his  detractors  are  not  the  South; 
they  are  not  the  Democratic  party;  they  represent  no 
body  and  nothing  but  the  blindness  of  passion  that 

90 


GENERAL   LONGSTREET  IN   1901 


FINALE 

desires  not  light.  I  would  tell  him  that  the  great,  loyal 
South  loves  him  to-day  as  in  the  old  days  when  he 
sacrificed  on  her  altars  a  career  in  the  army  of  the 
nation ;  when  the  thunder  of  his  guns  was  heard  around 
the  world  and  the  earth  shook  beneath  the  tread  of  his 
soldiers. 

And  as  he  journeys  down  to  the  Valley  of  Silence, 
the  true  sentiment  of  the  generous  South  that  he  loves 
so  well  is  voiced  by  Hon.  John  Temple  Graves,  in  the 
Atlanta,  Georgia,  News: 

"  As  there  walks  *  thoughtful  on  the  silent,  solemn  shore  of 
that  vast  ocean  he  must  sail  so  soon,'  one  of  the  last  of  the  great 
figures  that  moved  colossal  upon  the  tragic  stage  of  the  Civil 
War, — Longstreet,  the  grim  and  tenacious,  the  bulldog  of  war 
whose  grip  never  relaxed,  whose  guns  never  ceased  to  thunder, — 
as  the  eye  grows  dim  that  blazed  like  lightning  over  so  many 
stormy  fields,  let  the  noble  woman  who  bears  his  name  read  to 
her  heroic  soldier  the  message  that  the  South  of  the  present,  the 
not  ignoble  offspring  of  the  past,  compasses  the  couch  of  Long- 
street  with  love,  and  covers  his  fading  years  with  unfading 
admiration  and  unforgetting  tenderness." 

WASHINGTOH,  D.  C.,  December,  1903. 


91 


LONGSTREET  THE  MAN 


HIS   BOYHOOD   DAYS 

THE  original  plan  of  this  little  work  was  to  publish 
only  the  short  story  of  Gettysburg  which  was  written 
while  General  Longstreet  lived.  My  friends  have  in 
sisted  that  the  generous  public,  although  it  has  received 
the  prospectus  of  the  work  with  such  warm  appreciation, 
will  be  disappointed  if  I  discuss  only  the  one  event  of 
his  most  eventful  life.  And  so  have  been  added  the 
paper  on  the  Mexican  War  and  chapters  on  his  famous 
campaigns  of  the  Civil  War. 

They  have  insisted  further  that  I  must  speak  of 
Longstreet  the  man.  I  have  replied  that  I  could  not. 
My  heart  is  sore.  I  cannot  forget  that  he  poured  out 
his  heroic  blood  in  defence  of  the  Southern  people,  and 
when  there  was  not  a  flag  left  for  him  to  fight  for  many 
of  them  turned  against  him  and  persecuted  him  with 
a  bitterness  that  saddened  his  last  years.  They  under 
took  to  rob  him  of  the  glories  of  his  many  peerless  cam 
paigns;  to  convict  him  of  treason  to  his  cause  on  the 
field  of  battle.  And  when  he  lay  dead,  forty  years  after 
his  world-famous  victories,  perhaps  from  an  opening 
of  the  old  wound  received  at  the  Wilderness,  a  Chapter 
of  the  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy  of  the  State  be 
neath  whose  sod  rests  his  valiant  dust,  refused  to  send 
flowers  to  his  grave,  because,  they  said,  he  disobeyed 
orders  at  Gettysburg.  And  a  Southern  Camp  of  the 
Sons  of  Confederate  Veterans  refused,  for  the  same 

93 


LONGSTREET   THE   MAN 

alleged  reason,  to  send  a  message  of  sympathy  to  his 
family.  If  I  should  now  undertake  to  write  about  him 
I  might  speak  of  such  things  as  these  with  bitterness; 
and  I  must  not  so  speak,  because  I  am  a  Southern 
woman,  and  the  Southern  people — my  people — must 
forever  be  to  me  as  they  were  to  him,  "  dear  as  the  ruddy 
drops  about  his  heart." 

I  must  not  write  about  him  until  I  can  write  bravely, 
sweetly,  cheerfully,  and  in  this  hour  it  is,  perhaps,  more 
than  my  human  nature  can  do.  And  I  cannot  take  the 
public  into  my  confidence  about  the  man  I  loved.  The 
subject  is  too  sacred.  But  my  friends  demand  at  least 
one  page  on  the  man  as  I  knew  him,  that  the  South  at 
last — the  dear  South  that  I  love  with  all  my  heart — may 
know  him  and  love  him  as  I  did. 

And  so  I  undertake  to  string  together  disjointedly  a 
few  incidents  of  a  life  that  was  lived  upon  high  levels, 
brave  and  blameless,  and  that  the  days  give  back  to  me 
a  glorified  memory,  coupled  with  a  great  thankfulness 
that  I  had  a  small  part  in  it. 

From  my  childhood  he  had  been  the  fine  embodiment 
of  my  ideals  of  chivalry  and  courage.  The  sorrows  of 
his  later  years  aroused  all  the  tender  pity  of  my  heart. 
His  wounds  and  sufferings  enveloped  him  with  poetic 
interest.  He  was  fighting  the  battles  of  my  country 
before  I  was  born.  The  blood  of  my  ancestors  had  dyed 
the  brilliant  fields  whereon  he  led.  He  was  ever  the  hero 
of  my  young  dreams ;  and  throughout  a  long  and  check 
ered  career  always  to  me  a  figure  of  matchless  splendor 
and  gallantry. 

His  life  was  set  to  serious  work.  His  father  died 
before  he  was  old  enough  to  understand  the  meaning  of 
a  father's  care.  He  had  but  little  schooling  before  he 
went  to  West  Point  as  cadet  of  the  Military  Academy. 
From  West  Point  he  went  into  service  in  the  Mexican 
War,  and  was  in  every  battle,  save  one,  of  the  war  that 

94 


His  BOYHOOD  DAYS 

gave  to  us  an  empire  in  wealth  and  territory;  winning 
promotions  for  gallantry  on  the  field.  After  the  Mexi 
can  War  he  saw  long  service  on  the  Western  frontier. 
He  entered  the  Civil  War  of  1861-65,  and  the  greatest 
Confederate  victories  of  that  greatest  war  of  civilized 
times  are  inscribed  upon  his  battle-flags.  The  glories 
of  Manassas,  Williamsburg,  Fredericksburg,  Chicka- 
mauga,  the  East  Tennessee  campaigns,  the  Wilderness, 
the  campaigns  about  Richmond,  and  the  last  desperate 
struggles  on  the  way  to  Appomattox,  gather  about  his 
name. 

After  the  Civil  War  came  the  most  trying  period  of 
his  life, — the  dark  days  of  reconstruction,  the  fierce  dis 
sensions  between  the  sections,  and  between  those  hold 
ing  different  views  in  the  same  section,  the  hot  feeling 
and  prejudices  of  the  time,  the  struggle  to  repair  the 
ruined  fortunes  of  war.  When  he  was  finally  gath 
ered  to  his  fathers,  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty-three, 
he  was  still  in  harness,  holding  the  position  under 
the  government  of  United  States  Commissioner  of 
Railroads. 

This  busy,  exciting,  and  strenuous  life  was  calculated 
to  develop  in  him  the  qualities  of  the  soldier,  the  man 
of  affairs,  the  blood  and  iron  of  nature  rather  than  her 
gentler  qualities.  Nevertheless,  his  heart  was  as  tender 
as  a  woman's,  the  sentiment  and  romance  of  his  being 
never  ceased  to  be  exerted,  and  he  exhibited  to  the  last 
a  tenderness  of  feeling  and  thought  fulness  regarding 
others  which  were  in  singular  and  beautiful  contrast  to 
the  main  currents  of  his  life.  This,  I  think,  will  appear 
without  any  special  effort  to  show  it  as  this  sketch  goes 
on. 

General  Longstreet  was  born  in  Edgefield  District, 
South  Carolina,  January  8,  1821.  His  early  years  were 
spent  in  the  country.  His  father  was  a  planter.  Natu 
ral  to  him  was  all  the  vigor  and  fire  of  that  heroic  sec- 

95 


LONGSTREET  THE   MAN 

tion,  and  still  there  was  in  him  a  coolness,  conservatism, 
and  iron  will  tempered  by  justice  and  fair  judgment 
embracing  the  best  of  his  Dutch  ancestry.  His  ances 
tors  on  this  side  of  the  water  were  chiefly  the  Dents, 
Marshalls,  and  Randolphs,  of  Virginia.  On  the  ma 
ternal  side,  his  grandfather,  Marshall  Dent,  traced  his 
line  back  to  the  Conqueror.  His  mother  was  Mary 
Ann  Dent,  of  the  family  that  furnished  the  lady  who 
became  famous  as  the  wife  of  the  soldier-President, 
Grant.  His  father  was  James  Longstreet.  His 
grandfather  on  his  father's  side  was  William  Long- 
street. 

It  is  interesting  here  to  note  that  this  William  Long- 
street  was  the  inventor  of  the  steamboat.  He  discovered 
the  principle  in  a  series  of  experiments  about  the  kitchen 
and  the  mills,  and  after  much  care  and  trouble  he  was 
able  to  apply  the  principle.  He  made  a  rather  pudgy 
steamboat,  rigged  it  up  with  all  necessary  equipment, 
and  successfully  ran  it  for  some  miles  up  and  down  the 
Savannah  River.  He  did  not  have  the  means  to  develop 
it  to  such  extent  as  to  demonstrate  to  the  world  its 
possibilities.  Fully  appreciating  the  importance  of 
the  invention,  he  appealed  to  Governor  Telf  air,  the  then 
governor  of  Georgia,  for  aid.  Very  naturally,  the  aid 
was  refused  him,  for  that  was  a  day  of  scepticism  re 
garding  new-fangled  things.  He  was  made  sport  of 
by  the  people  around,  and  called  "  Billy  Boy,"  the 
dreamer,  and  made  the  subject  of  doggerel  poetry.  As 
an  authentic  part  of  the  story,  I  give  here  the  letter 
which  he  wrote  to  Governor  Telfair,  which  is  still  pre 
served  in  the  State  archives  of  Georgia : 

"AUGUSTA,  GEORGIA,  September  26,  1790. 

"  SIR, — I  make  no  doubt  but  you  have  often  heard  of  my 
steamboat,  and  as  often  heard  it  laughed  at,  but  in  this  I  have 

only  shared  the  fate  of  other  projectors,  for  it  has  uniformly 

96 


His  BOYHOOD  DAYS 

been  the  custom  of  every  country  to  ridicule  the  greatest  inven 
tions  until  they  had  proved  their  utility.  In  not  reducing  my 
scheme  to  active  use  it  has  been  unfortunate  for  me,  I  confess, 
and  perhaps  the  people  in  general;  but,  until  very  lately,  I 
did  not  think  that  artists  or  material  could  be  had  in  the  place 
sufficient.  However,  necessity,  that  grand  mother  of  invention, 
has  furnished  me  with  an  idea  of  perfecting  my  plan  almost 
entirely  of  wooden  material,  and  by  such  workmen  as  may  be  had 
here;  and,  from  a  thorough  confidence  of  its  success,  I  have 
presumed  to  ask  your  assistance  and  patronage.  Should  it 
succeed  agreeably  to  my  expectations,  I  hope  I  shall  discover 
that  sense  of  duty  which  such  favors  always  merit;  and  should 
it  not  succeed,  your  reward  must  lay  with  other  unlucky  ad 
ventures. 

"  For  me  to  mention  all  of  the  advantages  arising  from  such 
a  machine  would  be  tedious,  and,  indeed,  quite  unnecessary. 
Therefore  I  have  taken  the  liberty  to  state,  in  this  plain  and 
humble  manner,  my  wish  and  opinion,  which  I  hope  you  will 
excuse,  and  I  shall  remain,  either  with  or  without  your  appro 
bation, 

"  Your  Excellency's  most  obedient  and  humble  servant, 

"  WM.    LONGSTREET. 

"  GOVERNOR  TELFAIR." 

Some  time  afterwards  Robert  Fulton  took  up  and 
developed  the  idea.  At  first  he,  too,  was  laughed  at  and 
discredited  fully  as  much  as  was  William  Longstreet; 
but  he  finally  succeeded  in  enlisting  the  patronage  of 
Gouverneur  Morris,  a  rich  New  Yorker,  and  the  success 
of  the  steamboat,  with  all  its  tremendous  meaning  to 
civilization,  was  the  result. 

His  father  having  died  when  he  was  but  twelve  years 
old,  General  Longstreet's  mother  moved  shortly  after 
wards  to  Augusta,  Georgia,  where  she  resided  a  few 
years,  after  which  she  moved  to  Alabama.  The  educa 
tion  of  young  Longstreet  was  then  intrusted  to  his  uncle, 
Judge  A.  B.  Longstreet,  for  many  years  president  of 
Emory  College,  at  Oxford,  Georgia,  and  one  of  the 

7  97 


LONGSTREET   THE   MAN 

most  illustrious  presidents  of  that  famous  old  college. 
Judge  Longstreet  was  noted  as  lawyer,  judge,  educator, 
and  writer.  He  is  a  very  poorly  read  Georgian,  a  rather 
poorly  read  Southerner,  who  has  not  enjoyed  and  talked 
to  his  friends  about  that  book  of  wonderful  naturalness, 
humor,  and  human  philosophy,  "  Georgia  Scenes."  The 
author  of  this  book  was  Judge  A.  B.  Longstreet.  In 
later  years  its  authorship  has  been  often  erroneously 
credited  to  General  Longstreet. 

Entirely  immersed  in  his  college  duties,  Judge  Long- 
street  had  but  little  time  to  give  to  his  youthful  nephew. 
Of  those  early  days,  it  is  only  known  that  the  boy  was 
not  much  of  a  student;  that  the  massive  old  oaks  of 
Oxford  appealed  to  him  more  than  the  school-room; 
that  fishing  in  the  streams  around  and  chasing  rabbits 
over  the  fields  formed  his  dearest  enjoyment.  In  his 
habits  and  feeling  he  was  then  and  always  near  to  na 
ture.  The  flash  of  the  lightning  in  mid-heaven  inter 
ested  him  more  than  the  Voltaic  sparks  of  the  lecture- 
room.  He  was  mischievous,  full  of  fun  and  frolic,  but 
beneath  all  that  he  was  almost  from  babyhood  planning 
for  a  larger  career  in  the  outside  world  and  longing  to 
be  a  soldier  and  fight  his  country's  battles.  The  books 
that  he  loved  most  told  of  Alexander  and  Caesar,  of 
Napoleon  and  his  marshals,  of  George  Washington 
and  the  Revolution.  He  wanted  to  do  things,  not  to 
study  about  them. 

He  received  his  West  Point  appointment  through  a 
relative  in  Alabama,  who  was  a  member  of  Congress. 
The  appointment  came  naturally  from  Alabama,  be 
cause  his  mother  was  living  there.  He  went  to  West 
Point  at  the  age  of  sixteen.  This  was  one  of  the  proud 
est  days  of  his  life;  it  was  the  beginning  of  the  fulfil 
ment  of  his  dreams ;  he  had  not  an  idea  that  any  human 
agency  could  turn  him  from  the  soldier  course  in  which 
he  was  directed,  or  could  delay  him  for  an  instant.  And 

98 


His  BOYHOOD  DAYS 

yet,  while  he  was  in  New  York  City  arranging  for  the 
change  from  the  cars  to  the  Hudson  River  boat,  he  was 
approached  by  two  little  boys  of  guileless  appearance, 
who  told  him  that  their  father  had  recently  died  away 
down  in  South  Carolina,  that  they  had  no  money,  that 
their  mother  had  no  money,  that  they  just  must  get  to 
their  dead  father,  and  wouldn't  he  help  them  out.  With 
a  tenderness  of  heart  characteristic  of  him  then  and 
always,  he  was  about  to  open  to  them  his  purse  and 
take  the  chances  of  never  reaching  West  Point,  when 
a  policeman  who  had  observed  the  performance  ap 
proached  and  prevented  the  innocent  embryo  soldier 
from  being  fleeced  by  the  youthful  bunco  steerers  of  the 
city. 

Arriving  at  West  Point,  he  proudly  went  to  the  hotel 
to  register  and  take  a  room,  and  was  much  chagrined 
upon  being  told  by  the  proprietor  that  they  didn't  "  take 
in  kids."  He  was  directed  to  the  cadets'  quarters,  and 
his  first  humiliation  there  was  the  further  discovery  that 
instead  of  being  waited  on  as  a  dignified  soldier  should 
be  by  half  a  dozen  servants,  he  had  to  keep  his  own  room, 
make  his  own  bed,  black  his  own  boots. 

His  thoughts  of  war  had  been  associated  with  fierce 
fighting,  the  killing  of  many  enemies,  the  capturing  of 
many  prisoners.  His  preconceived  idea  of  a  prisoner 
was  gained  while  a  small  boy  in  Alabama.  He  had 
heard  that  a  prisoner  was  down  at  the  station,  and  ran 
there  full  of  expectancy  to  see  what  a  "  prisoner"  was 
like.  He  discovered  a  big  buck  negro,  black  as  mid 
night,  large  as  two  ordinary  men,  with  countenance 
ferocious.  His  first  West  Point  assignment  which  gave 
promise  of  the  heroic  was  to  guard  a  "  prisoner."  He 
was  given  a  gun  for  the  purpose.  The  figure  of  the 
Alabama  darky  came  to  his  mind,  and  he  wondered  if 
the  gun  were  big  enough  to  kill  him  in  case  that  should 
be  necessary.  Examining  it,  he  discovered,  alas!  that 

99 


LONGSTREET   THE   MAN 

it  was  not  even  loaded.  Sent  to  guard  a  terrible  pris 
oner  with  an  unloaded  gun!  When  he  got  to  the  place 
of  service  he  was  relieved,  surprised,  and  equally  dis 
gusted  by  the  discovery  that  the  prisoner  was  a  fellow- 
student  who  had  broken  the  rules — a  poor  little  weakly, 
cadaverous  fellow,  whom  he  could  pick  up  and  throw 
into  the  Hudson  without  half  trying. 

As  a  West  Point  cadet,  so  far  as  the  drilling,  the  field 
practice,  the  athletics,  all  the  out-door  work  was  con 
cerned,  he  sustained  himself  well.  He  was  very  large, 
very  strong,  well  proportioned.  He  had  dark -brown 
hair,  blue  eyes,  features  that  might  have  served  for  a 
Grecian  model.  He  was  six  feet  two  inches  tall,  of 
soldierly  bearing,  and  was  voted  the  handsomest  cadet 
at  West  Point.  As  a  student  of  books,  however,  he 
was  not  a  success.  They  seemed  to  contain  so  much  that 
did  not  properly  belong  to  the  life  of  a  soldier  that  he 
could  not  become  interested  enough  in  them  to  learn 
them.  In  his  third  year  he  failed  in  mechanics,  and  did 
not  "  rise"  until  given  a  second  trial.  In  scholarship, 
he  always  ranked  much  closer  to  the  foot  than  to  the 
head  of  his  class.  He  was  just  a  little  better  student 
than  his  friend,  U.  S.  Grant,  which  was  poor  praise, 
indeed.  But  their  after  careers  told  a  different  story. 


LIFE-LONG   FRIENDSHIP    OF    GRANT 
AND    LONGSTREET 

I  MAY  be  pardoned  for  digressing  here  to  speak  of 
the  strong  school-boy  friendship  which  began  at  West 
Point  between  Grant  and  Longstreet  and  lasted 
throughout  their  lives.  Grant  was  of  the  class  after 
Longstreet,  but  somehow  their  silent  serious  natures 

were   in   spontaneous   accord,    and   they   became   fast 

100 


LIFE-LONG  FRIENDSHIP  OF  GRANT  AND  LONGSTREET 

friends  from  their  first  meeting.  That  one  was  from 
the  West  and  one  from  the  South  made  no  difference, 
just  as  later  it  made  no  difference  in  their  feeling  of 
personal  affection  that  one  led  the  army  of  the  Union 
and  the  other  the  army  of  the  Confederacy. 

After  their  graduation  at  West  Point  they  were  both 
stationed  at  Jefferson  Barracks  near  St.  Louis.  The 
Dent  family  lived  near  by;  Longstreet  was  a  cousin. 
And  he  was  particularly  fond  of  his  cousin  Julia  Dent ! 
He  took  his  friend  Grant  out  to  see  her,  and  the  result 
of  the  introduction  was  their  marriage  five  years  later. 
There  was  such  a  contrast  between  her  tall  cousin  James 
and  her  short  admirer,  Ulysses,  that  her  friends  often 
joked  her  about  "  the  little  lieutenant  with  the  big  epau 
lettes." 

Grant  and  Longstreet  went  through  the  Mexican 
War  together,  and  their  boyhood  friendship  was  indis- 
solubly  cemented  by  the  associations  of  camp  life  on  the 
Mexican  border.  Longstreet  went  in  as  a  lieutenant 
and  came  out  as  a  major.  General  Worth  apologized, 
giving  Longstreet's  youth  as  an  excuse  for  not  recom 
mending  him  for  higher  promotion.  Promotions  in  the 
army  in  those  days  were  not  so  rapid  as  at  the  present 
time. 

The  first  meeting  of  Grant  and  Longstreet  during 
the  Civil  War  was  not  a  personal  meeting ;  it  was  when 
they  were  leading  opposing  forces  at  the  battle  of  the 
Wilderness.  It  is  known  to  all  students  of  our  Civil 
War  history  that  the  Confederate  forces  led  by  Long- 
street  were  getting  all  the  better  of  it  at  the  Wilder 
ness  and  that  the  Union  forces  under  Grant  were  being 
driven  back,  when  Longstreet  was  shot  down  and  car 
ried  from  the  field.  He  was  leading  his  men,  after 
his  custom, — he  never  followed,  never  told  them  to  go, 
but  always  bade  them  come.  He  was  at  this  crucial 

point  at  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness  far  in  advance 

101 


LONGSTEEET   THE   MAN 

of  his  men — so  far  in  advance  that  they  mistook  him  for 
the  enemy  and  fired  upon  him.  Shot  through  the  shoul 
der  and  the  throat,  wounded  nigh  unto  death,  he  was 
taken  from  the  field.  With  this  calamity  discovered,  the 
Confederates  held  up  in  their  swift  advance.  The  im 
pression  rapidly  spread  that  Longstreet  was  killed.  The 
surgeons  and  attendants  who  were  bearing  him  to  the 
rear  called  out  to  the  soldiers  and  asked  that  the  cry  be 
sent  down  the  lines :  "  Longstreet  is  not  killed,  he  is  only 
wounded."  The  men  who  had  seen  him  fall  cried  out, 
'They  are  fooling  us;  he  is  dead."  General  Long- 
street  has  said  that  he  heard  both  cries ;  he  knew  he  was 
not  dead,  but  did  not  know  how  soon  he  might  be ;  he  had 
just  strength  enough  left  to  lift  his  hat.  For  this  pur 
pose  he  exerted  that  strength,  and  waved  his  hat  to  his 
men  that  they  might  see  that  he  still  lived.  But  the 
genius  of  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness  borne  to  the  rear, 
even  the  ever  dauntless  Confederates  could  not  follow 
up  the  advantage  they  had  won. 

The  next  meeting  of  these  two  personal  friends  and 
opposing  generals  was  at  Appomattox.  In  the  begin 
ning  of  that  momentous  conference  General  Lee  called 
General  Longstreet  to  him  and  asked  him,  in  case  hon 
orable  terms  of  surrender  should  not  be  offered,  and  in 
the  ensuing  developments  it  should  be  necessary  for  the 
Confederates  to  fight  their  way  out,  if  he  would  stand 
by  him.  Longstreet  replied  that  he  would  fight  and  die 
fighting. 

General  Longstreet  often  spoke  of  the  details  of  the 
capitulation  at  Appomattox.  He  said  that  when  he 
went  into  the  conference-room,  in  the  McLean  residence, 
as  one  of  the  Confederate  Commissioners,  he  was  com 
pelled  to  pass  through  the  room  occupied  by  General 
Grant  as  his  head-quarters.  He  felt  curious  to  know 
how  General  Grant  would  receive  him.  He  had  loved 
Grant  as  one  of  his  closest  boyhood  friends,  but  times 

102 


LIFE-LONG  FRIENDSHIP  OF  GRANT  AND  LONGSTREET 

were  much  changed.  Grant  was  victor,  he  was  van 
quished.  He  was  therefore  prepared  to  observe  the 
rigid  demeanor  of  those  between  whom  ceremony  only 
forces  recognition.  But  immediately  he  entered  the 
room  Grant  rose,  approached  him  with  a  greater  show 
of  demonstration  than  ever  in  the  olden  days,  and 
slapped  him  on  the  shoulder,  exclaiming,  "  Well,  Old 
Pete,  can't  we  get  back  to  the  good  old  days  by  playing 
a  game  of  brag?"  At  West  Point  the  nickname  among 
the  boys  for  General  Longstreet  was  "  Old  Pete."  No 
one  ever  knew  why,  any  more  than  they  know  why 
this  or  that  college  president  is  designated  Peleg  or 
Squeers. 

It  has  often  been  related  by  General  Longstreet  and 
by  others  that  General  Lee  went  into  the  Appomattox 
conference  dressed  in  full  uniform,  and  making  withal 
the  best  appearance  that  this  most  noble  soldier  in  his 
dire  defeat  could  make.  General  Grant,  on  the  con 
trary,  had  not  dressed  up  for  the  occasion.  He  wore 
his  old  fighting  uniform,  mud  bespattered,  evidencing 
no  acquaintance  even  with  a  dusting-brush.  The  im 
portant  part  of  that  meeting,  the  splendid  bearing  of 
the  conquered  Confederates,  the  modest  demeanor  of 
the  Union  victors,  and,  above  all,  the  noble  generosity 
of  Grant  in  refusing  to  acept  the  sword  of  Lee  and  in 
giving  the  fairest  terms  possible  under  the  existing  con 
ditions, — these  are  known  to  all  who  have  read  United 
States  history.  When  General  Lee  rode  back  to  his 
head-quarters  from  this  fateful  conference,  his  half- 
starved,  ragged,  worn-out,  worshipful  followers  saluted 
him  from  both  sides  of  the  road.  Overcome  with  emo 
tion,  he  dared  not  look  directly  into  their  faces.  He 
held  his  hat  in  his  hand  and  fixed  his  eyes  straight  be 
tween  his  horse's  ears.  The  parting  at  Appomattox 
between  Lee  and  his  officers  was  most  kindly,  affection 
ate,  and  touching  in  every  instance.  But  when  General 

103 


LONGSTREET   THE   MAN 

Longstreet  approached,  General  Lee  threw  his  arms 
about  him,  and,  locked  in  each  other's  embrace,  the  two 
wept  with  a  bitterness  of  regret  that  ordinary  mortals 
can  never  understand. 

Soon  after  the  war  General  Longstreet  visited  Wash 
ington  and  was  invited  to  be  the  guest  of  a  Union  officer. 
He  protested  against  accepting  the  invitation,  saying 
that  it  was  too  soon  after  the  fighting.  But  the  insist 
ence  was  so  cordial  as  to  leave  no  excuse  for  refusal. 
Once  under  an  officer's  roof,  it  became  his  pleasant  duty 
to  pay  his  respects  to  the  commanding  general,  who  was, 
of  course,  General  Grant.  Grant  received  him  with  all 
his  old-time  cordiality,  and  invited  him  to  take  supper  at 
his  house  that  evening,  saying  quickly,  as  enforcement 
of  the  invitation,  that  his  wife  wrould  be  anxious  to  see 
him.  The  evening  was  pleasantly  spent,  and  upon 
taking  his  leave,  General  Grant  walked  to  the  gate  with 
General  Longstreet,  where  he  said,  "  Now  that  it  is  all 
over,  would  you  not  like  to  have  pardon?"  General 
Longstreet  replied,  with  a  touch  of  Southern  fire,  that 
he  was  unaware  of  having  done  anything  in  need  of  par 
don.  General  Grant  replied  that  he  had  perhaps  used 
the  wrong  word,  as  he  was  more  of  a  soldier  than  a  lin 
guist;  that  he  meant  to  ask  if  General  Longstreet  would 
like  to  have  amnesty.  General  Longstreet  answered 
that  he  was  back  in  the  Union,  meant  to  live  in  the 
Union,  was  ready  at  that  moment  to  fight  for  the  Union, 
and  would  be  happy  if  his  old  friend  could  place  him  in 
the  way  of  restored  citizenship.  General  Grant  re 
quested  him  to  come  again  to  his  office  the  following 
morning,  and  said  that  in  the  mean  time  he  would  see 
the  President  and  Secretary  of  War  in  General  Long- 
street's  behalf.  In  the  morning  he  gave  General  Long- 
street  a  letter  to  President  Johnson  full  of  warm  interest 
and  broad-mindedness  characteristic  of  Grant,  which  is 
here  reproduced : 

104 


LIFE-LONG  FRIENDSHIP  OF  GRANT  AND  LONGSTREET 

"  HEAD-QUARTERS  ARMIES  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES, 
WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  November  7,  1865. 

"  His  EXCELLENCY,  A.  JOHNSON, 

"  President : 

"  Knowing  that  General  Longstreet,  late  of  the  army  which 
was  in  rebellion  against  the  authority  of  the  United  States,  is  in 
the  city,  and  presuming  that  he  intends  asking  executive  clemency 
before  leaving,  I  beg  to  say  a  word  in  his  favor. 

"  General  Longstreet  comes  under  the  third,  fifth,  and  eighth 
exceptions  made  in  your  proclamation  of  the  29th  of  May,  1865. 
I  believe  I  can  safely  say  that  there  is  nowhere  among  the  ex 
ceptions  a  more  honorable  class  of  men  than  those  embraced  in 
the  fifth  and  eighth  of  these,  nor  a  class  that  will  more  faithfully 
observe  any  obligation  which  they  may  impose  upon  themselves. 
General  Longstreet,  in  my  opinion,  stands  high  among  this  class. 
I  have  known  him  well  for  more  than  twenty-six  years,  first  as 
cadet  at  West  Point  and  afterwards  as  an  officer  of  the  army. 
For  five  years  from  my  graduation  we  served  together,  a  portion 
of  the  time  in  the  same  regiment.  I  speak  of  him,  therefore,  from 
actual  personal  acquaintance. 

"  In  the  late  rebellion,  I  think,  not  one  single  charge  was  ever 
brought  against  General  Longstreet  for  persecution  of  prisoners 
of  war  or  of  persons  for  their  political  opinions.  If  such  charges 
were  ever  made,  I  never  heard  them.  I  have  no  hesitation,  there 
fore,  in  recommending  General  Longstreet  to  your  Excellency 
for  pardon.  I  will  further  state  that  my  opinion  of  him  is  such 
that  I  shall  feel  it  as  a  personal  favor  to  myself  if  this  pardon  is 
granted. 

"  Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"  U.  S.  GEANT, 
"  Lieutenant-General." 

Armed  with  this  letter,  General  Longstreet  sought 
President  Johnson.  In  the  interview  that  followed  the 
presentation  of  the  letter  the  President  was  nervous,  ill 
at  ease,  and  somewhat  resentful.  He  would  not  decide 
to  grant  the  request,  and  he  would  not  positively  refuse. 
Finally,  he  asked  General  Longstreet  to  call  again  the 
following  morning.  At  this  next  meeting  he  was  still 

105 


LONGSTREET   THE   MAN 

non-committal,  and  at  length  closed  the  interview  by 
saying,  "  There  are  three  men  this  Union  will  never  for 
give.  They  have  given  it  too  much  trouble.  They  are 
Jefferson  Davis,  Robert  E.  Lee,  and  James  Long- 
street."  General  Longstreet  said,  "  Those  who  are  for 
given  much,  love  much,  Mr.  President."  Johnson  an 
swered,  "  You  have  high  authority  for  that  statement, 
General,  but  you  cannot  have  amnesty."  It  was  shortly 
afterwards  granted  by  act  of  Congress,  General  Long- 
street's  name  being  added  to  a  list  of  prominent  Con 
federate  officers  by  the  especial  request  of  Grant. 

These  incidents  in  the  associations  of  Grant  and 
Longstreet  come  in  naturally  in  a  paper  of  this  kind. 
I  always  think  of  them  together, — as  chums  at  West 
Point;  as  comrades  in  the  West  and  on  the  fields  of 
Mexico;  as  opposing  forces  in  the  mightiest  war  the 
world  has  witnessed;  and  after  that  war  was  ended,  as 
good  friends  again  in  the  stronger  nation. 

President  Johnson,  who  had  started  out  with  the  plan 
of  being  generous  to  the  South,  and  for  some  unknown 
reason  departed  from  that  policy,  conceived  the  idea  of 
having  arrested  and  thrown  into  prison  and  tried  for 
treason  a  number  of  the  high  officers  of  the  Confederacy. 
He  called  for  a  Cabinet  meeting  to  get  an  endorsement 
of  this  plan,  and  sent  for  General  Grant  to  attend  the 
meeting.  He  forcibly  presented  his  reasons  for  the  pro 
cedure,  and  asked  for  the  opinions  of  those  present. 
After  much  discussion  there  was  general  acquiescence 
by  the  Cabinet.  "  The  silent  man  of  destiny"  was  the 
last  member  of  the  conference  to  open  his  lips.  He  said, 
"  I  will  resign  my  commission  in  the  army  before  I  will, 
as  commanding  general,  sign  a  warrant  for  the  ar 
rest  of  any  of  these  Confederate  officers  as  long  as 
they  observe  the  honorable  terms  of  surrender  made 
to  me." 

It  would  be  easy  to  write  a  book  about  a  statement 

106 


LIFE-LONG  FRIENDSHIP  OF  GRANT  AND  LONGSTREET 

like  that,  but  the  book  when  written  would  not  be  as  good 
as  the  unadorned  statement. 

The  illustrious  Union  general's  noble  generosity  to  the 
conquered  South  is  an  old  tale.  But  it  is  so  beautiful 
that  it  bears  repetition,  and  I  love  to  repeat  it.  I  have 
digressed  from  the  main  line  of  this  paper  to  pay  to 
General  Longstreet's  boyhood  friend  the  modest  trib 
ute  of  my  admiration.  From  early  childhood  I  rever 
enced  Grant.  I  always  regarded  him  as  the  greatest 
man,  the  greatest  general,  the  greatest  hero  on  the 
Union  side.  I  have  now  a  life-size  steel-engraving  of 
him  that  I  secured  when  a  girl.  This  was  long  before  I 
knew  much  of  that  side  of  his  life  which  has  since  most 
appealed  to  me.  My  admiration  of  him  has  been  in 
every  way  strengthened  by  the  stories  General  Long- 
street  told  me  of  him,  particularly  the  stories  showing 
his  generosity  to  his  foes  and  his  many  private  and  offi 
cial  kindnesses  to  the  widows  and  orphans  of  Confed 
erate  officers  and  privates.  Of  these  stories  I  give  one 
typical  of  many :  When  Grant  was  President,  a  widow 
of  a  Confederate  officer  applied  for  a  post-office  in  a 
small  Southern  town.  Hearing  nothing  of  her  appli 
cation,  she  came  to  Washington  to  press  it.  She  was 
unable  to  move  the  authorities  at  the  Post-Office  De 
partment,  and  was  about  to  go  home  in  despair,  when 
a  friend  suggested  that  it  might  be  worth  while  for  her 
to  see  the  President.  With  much  effort  she  summoned 
courage  and  appeared  at  the  White  House.  The 
President  received  her  in  a  most  friendly  manner,  and 
after  hearing  her  story  took  her  application  and  wrote 
a  brief  but  strong  endorsement  on  the  back  of  it.  She 
hurried  in  triumph  to  the  Post-Office  Department.  The 
official  to  whom  she  presented  the  application  frowned 
and  pondered  over  it  for  some  time,  and  then  wrote 
under  the  President's  endorsement:  '*  This  being  a 
fourth-class  office,  the  President  does  not  have  the  ap- 


107 


LONGSTREET   THE   MAN 

pointing  power."  The  application  was  handed  back  to 
her,  and  she  went  away  in  deep  distress,  and  was  again 
preparing  to  return  home,  when  another  friend  told  her 
by  all  means  to  take  the  paper  back  to  the  President  so 
that  he  might  see  how  his  endorsement  had  been  received. 
She  did  so.  The  President  wrote  under  the  last  endorse 
ment:  "  While  the  President  does  not  have  the  appoint 
ing  power  in  this  office,  he  has  the  appointment  of  the 
Postmaster-General,"  and,  summoning  his  secretary, 
directed  him  to  accompany  the  lady  to  the  Department 
and  in  person  deliver  her  application  to  the  Postmaster- 
General.  It  is  needless  to  add  that  she  received  the 
commission  before  leaving  the  office. 

While  on  a  tour  through  the  West  in  1899,  General 
Longstreet  was  entertained  in  San  Diego,  California, 
at  a  dinner  at  the  home  of  U.  S.  Grant,  Jr.  After 
dinner  he  requested  the  company  to  stand  while  he 
proposed  a  toast.  We  expected,  perhaps,  some  pleas 
antry  or  gallant  compliment  to  the  hostess.  He  said: 
'  Thirty-odd  years  ago  I  first  met  General  Grant  in 
the  Civil  War  at  the  Wilderness,  and  there  received 
the  wound  that  paralyzed  my  right  arm.  During  the 
fiercest  warfare  this  nation  has  seen,  General  Grant 
was  the  strongest  obstacle  that  stood  between  me 
and  my  people  and  the  consummation  of  the  dearest 
hopes  that  they  then  cherished.  Now,  in  this  day  of 
peace  and  union,  with  not  a  cloud  upon  the  sky  of  a  re 
united  country,  in  the  presence  of  General  Grant's  de 
scendants,  under  the  roof  of  his  namesake  son,  I  want 
to  drink  this  toast  to  the  memory  of  Grant,  revered  alike 
by  the  brave  men  who  fought  with  him  and  the  equally 
brave  men  who  fought  him." 


108 


His  FIRST  ROMANCE 


HIS    FIRST    ROMANCE 

FIFTY  years  before  the  pleasant  day  in  San  Diego, 
fresh  from  the  fields  of  his  honors  and  victories  in  Mex 
ico,  young  Major  Longstreet  had  come  home  to  wed 
the  daughter  of  his  old  brigade  commander,  Colonel 
John  Garland.  She  was  Marie  Louise  Garland,  a  very 
charming  woman,  and  so  small  of  figure  as  to  be  in 
striking  contrast  to  her  husband  of  six  feet  two.  They 
were  engaged  for  some  time  before  the  breaking  out  of 
the  Mexican  War.  With  a  lofty  deference,  which  he 
bravely  overcame  in  later  life,  he  had  never  kissed  his 
fiancee.  In  setting  out  for  the  Mexican  War,  he  said 
that  he  thought,  inasmuch  as  he  might  get  killed  and 
never  see  her  again,  it  might  not  be  improper,  under  all 
the  sad  circumstances,  to  kiss  her.  They  had  ten  children, 
five  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  A  word  as  to  the  living 
five.  A  son  born  in  Virginia  during  the  war  was  named 
Robert  Lee,  after  the  Southern  Commander.  This  son 
served  in  the  recent  Spanish- American  War,  and  was, 
by  happy  fortune,  a  member  of  the  staff  of  Gen 
eral  Fitzhugh  Lee.  He  is  now  in  the  government  ser 
vice  at  Washington  City.  Another  son,  named  James, 
after  his  father,  was  born  in  Virginia  not  long  after  the 
surrender.  At  the  time,  General  Longstreet  wrote  to 
an  absent  relative :  "  This  is  my  Union  son,  but  he  has 
a  yell  like  the  rebel  yell  when  trying  to  reach  the  breast 
works.  I  have  named  him  James,  after  myself,  and  I 
know  he  will  always  be  as  good  a  Union  man  as  I  am 
going  to  be  hereafter."  This  son  likewise  saw  volunteer 
service  in  the  Spanish-American  War.  He  afterwards 
received  a  commission  in  the  regular  army,  and  is  now 
serving  in  the  Philippines  in  the  Thirteenth  Cavalry. 
This  Union  officer  son  is  a  strong  Democrat ;  his  brother 
in  Washington  is  an  equally  strong  Republican.  The 

109 


LONGSTREET   THE  MAN 

.General  always  taught  that  political  alignment  should 
be  based  upon  conviction  alone.  His  oldest  son,  John, 
an  architect,  lives  in  Atlanta,  the  youngest  son,  Ran 
dolph,  a  farmer,  lives  on  the  home  place  at  Gainesville; 
the  only  daughter  is  Mrs.  Whelchel,  of  Gainesville, 
Georgia.  There  are  five  grandchildren. 

General  Longstreet  said  that  he  started  out  in  his  mar 
ried  life  with  the  purpose  of  preserving  military  disci 
pline  in  the  family, — managing  the  family  as  he  would 
manage  soldiers  on  the  field.  He  soon  found  that  this 
would  not  work,  and  turned  over  the  chief  control  of  his 
home  to  his  wife. 

General  Longstreet  was  a  great  admirer  of  ladies, 
and  has  often  said  that  he  never  saw  enough  of  them, 
never  knew  as  many  as  he  wanted  to  know.  Into  his 
soldier  life  few  ladies  had  come.  When  he  got  into 
civil  life  he  wondered  where  all  the  ladies  came  from. 
After  the  Civil  War  he  was  much  petted  and  kissed 
by  the  ladies  of  the  South,  as  was  the  custom  with  the 
old  heroes  of  the  war.  He  submitted  to  it  with  some 
thing  more  than  willingness,  particularly  from  the 
younger  and  prettier  girls.  He  always  had  for  woman 
in  the  abstract  the  tenderest  love  and  reverence.  He 
considered  her  the  human  temple  of  all  loveliness.  He 
preserved  to  the  end  of  his  long  life  the  romance  and 
sentiment  which,  having  but  half  a  chance  to  develop  in 
his  youth,  had  continued  to  develop  in  his  later  years. 
The  home  was  ever  to  him  the  holy  of  holies. 

Last  summer,  at  Chicago,  he  met  the  daughter  of  his 
first  sweetheart,  and  told  her,  with  beautiful  naivete, 
that  her  mother  had  been  his  sweetheart  before  going  to 
West  Point;  that  he  had  meant  to  marry  her  when  he 
got  back,  though  he  had  not  told  her  so ;  and  on  return 
ing,  to  his  disgust,  he  found  her  married  to  another 
fellow. 

After  the  Mexican  War  General  Longstreet  served 

no 


His  FIRST  ROMANCE 

extensively  in  the  Indian  campaigns  out  West.  He 
considered  it  his  duty  and  made  it  his  delight,  as  do  all 
good  soldiers,  to  go  willingly  where  he  was  sent.  When 
choice  was  allowed  him  he  went  where  the  service  was 
hardest.  He  did  not  ask  to  dine  nicely  nor  to  sleep 
warm.  A  storm  cloud  was  not  too  rough  a  covering  for 
him.  He  did  not  seek  Olympian  sunshine.  He  could 
gladly  make  the  Rocky  Mountains  his  bed,  and  the  war- 
whoop  of  the  Indian  seeking  to  disturb  the  peace  of  his 
country  was  music  to  his  ears.  The  highest  word  that 
he  knew  was  duty.  His  country  he  loved  above  all 
things  else.  He  served  in  the  United  States  army  for 
almost  a  quarter  of  a  century,  nearly  always  west  of  the 
Mississippi. 

When  the  Civil  War  broke  out  he  was  paymaster  at 
Albuquerque,  New  Mexico,  with  the  rank  of  major. 
The  country  had  for  years  been  in  comparative  peace, 
and  he  had  given  up  the  cherished  idea  of  military 
glory  and  high  promotion.  Where  did  his  duty  lie  in 
this  hour?  He  had  loyally  served  in  the  Union  army 
for  nearly  twenty-five  years  and  through  the  war  that 
gave  to  the  nation  a  rich  empire.  His  State  and  his 
people  were  now  going  to  fight  the  Union.  The  Union 
officers  with  whom  he  was  serving  and  the  Union  sol 
diers  whom  he  had  commanded,  pleaded  with  him  to  stay 
with  the  Union;  their  wives  and  daughters  entreated 
him  and  wept  over  him;  the  power  of  vast  association 
appealed  wonderfully  to  him ;  but  he  thought  that  duty 
called  him  to  the  service  of  the  South,  and  no  earthly 
power  could  keep  him  from  that  service.  He  sent  in 
his  resignation,  and  set  out  at  once  for  Richmond.  His 
relatives  and  friends  along  the  way,  only  taking  time 
to  speak  to  him  as  he  passed,  hastened  him  on  to  Rich 
mond.  It  was  a  gala  journey  that  he  made  through  the 
Southern  country.  The  music  of  Southern  songs  was 

borne  upon  every  breeze.    The  wildest  enthusiasm  elec- 

111 


LONGSTEEET   THE   MAN 

trifled  town  and  hamlet;  from  the  open  doors  of  every 
farm-house  came  salutations  cheering  the  passengers 
on  to  Richmond.  He  was  not  allowed  to  pay  for  enter 
tainment  at  any  Southern  hotel.  Everything  was  free 
for  those  who  were  going  to  join  "  Jeff.  Davis  for  Dixie 
and  for  Southern  rights." 


HEROIC  CITIZEN  OF  THE  RECONSTRUC 
TION    PERIOD 

LONGSTEEET  entered  the  Confederate  service  as  brig 
adier-general,  and  reported  for  duty  to  General  Beau- 
regard  at  the  first  Manassas.  After  the  baptism  of  fire 
at  Antietam,  in  1862,  Longstreet  was  made  lieutenant- 
general,  next  in  rank  to  Lee.  This  rank  he  retained  to 
the  end  of  the  war,  ranking  even  Stonewall  Jackson. 
This  fact  is  especially  mentioned,  because  the  last  gen 
eration  of  the  South  have  often  confused  the  rank 
secured  by  their  fathers  in  the  war  with  the  paper  ranks 
given  by  the  Confederacy  when  the  war  was  over  and 
that  government,  heroic  in  its  ruins,  had  nothing  else 
to  give. 

I  have  heard  it  said  by  many  Union  officers  that  Long- 
street's  corps,  the  First  Corps,  was  the  terror  of  the 
Union  army.  I  have  heard  it  said  that  Longstreet  was 
the  only  officer  in  the  Confederate  army  whom  Grant 
and  Lincoln  wholesomely  feared.  He  was  Lee's  right 
arm  in  very  truth.  The  morning  of  the  battle  of  the 
Wilderness,  while  President  Lincoln  was  at  the  War 
Department,  some  one  asked  him,  "  What  is  the  best 
thing  that  can  happen  to  the  Union  to-day?"  He  an 
swered,  "  To  kill  Longstreet."  It  nearly  happened,  but 
by  the  bullets  of  Longstreet's  own  men,  because  in  so 

gallantly  leading  them  he  went  too  far  in  front. 

112 


HEROIC  CITIZEN  OF  THE  RECONSTRUCTION  PERIOD 

After  the  fall  of  the  curtain  at  Appomattox  General 
Longstreet  went  to  New  Orleans  and  engaged  in  the 
cotton  and  insurance  business.  He  developed  in  busi 
ness  the  splendid  ability  that  marked  him  as  a  soldier. 
He  was  making  ten  thousand  dollars  a  year  at  the  time 
the  celebrated  difference  of  opinion  came  up  as  to  the 
course  the  South  should  pursue  in  the  rehabilitation  of 
the  war-wasted  land.  It  was  then  that  he  wrote  the  fa 
mous  political  letter  of  1867  that  turned  the  South 
against  him  and  made  it  practically  impossible  for 
him  to  do  business  in  that  section  of  the  country.  The 
idea  that  this  letter  was  written  to  secure  political  pre 
ferment  from  the  powers  in  authority  is  perfectly  ab 
surd.  He  was  making  more  in  business,  and  would  have 
made  still  more  and  more  as  the  years  went  on,  than  he 
could  make  then  or  ever  afterwards  in  politics.  Besides, 
to  me,  and  to  any  one  who  ever  knew  the  real  man,  the 
idea  of  his  changing  his  convictions  a  hair's  breadth  for 
any  sort  of  gain  is  too  far-fetched  for  serious  discussion. 
The  very  head  and  front  of  his  offending  consisted  in 
his  belief  that  it  was  better  for  the  South  to  accept  the 
situation  then  presented;  better  for  the  high-class  men 
of  the  South  to  hold  the  offices  than  to  have  the  negroes 
and  scallawags  hold  them ;  better  for  the  South  to  keep 
faith  with  its  Appomattox  parole,  which  promised  obe 
dience  to  constituted  authority.  It  was  a  few  years 
after  this  letter  that  President  Grant  appointed  him 
Surveyor  of  the  Port  at  New  Orleans.  He  never  asked 
for  this  appointment,  and  was  not  consulted  about  it. 
President  Grant,  in  the  generosity  of  his  heart,  volun 
tarily  sent  his  name  to  the  Senate,  and  the  first  news 
General  Longstreet  had  of  it  came  through  the  press. 

General  Longstreet  never  affiliated  with  the  control 
ling  element  of  the  Republican  party  in  the  South.  He 
believed  in  a  white  man's  Republican  party  in  the  South, 
and  therefore  was  never  in  favor  with  the  dominant 

8  113 


LONGSTREET  THE   MAN 

Republican  party  in  that  section  that  believed  differ 
ently.  The  political  appointments  that  came  to  him 
came  because  of  his  high  character  and  his  record  of  sub 
stantial  achievement,  and  in  spite  of  the  opposition  of 
miscellaneous  competitive  place-seekers.  He  led  a  polit 
ical  movement  that  has  had  no  following  in  the  Southern 
section.  It  would  seemingly  have  been  easy  for  him  to 
have  acquiesced  in  the  methods  of  the  Republican  ma 
chinery  in  the  Southern  States  which  would  naturally 
have  made  him  the  head  and  front  of  the  Southern  Re 
publican  party.  It  would  have  seemed  easier  in  an 
earlier  day  for  him  to  have  gone  with  the  Democracy, 
which  would  have  made  him  the  political  idol  of  the 
South,  as  he  had  been  its  military  idol.  Is  is  so  much 
easier  to  be  a  demagogue  than  it  is  to  be  a  man.  It 
requires  no  unusual  moral  caliber  to  take  a  seat  on  the 
band-wagon  and  go  with  the  crowd.  Conscience  com 
pelled  James  Longstreet  to  oppose  politically,  for  their 
own  good,  as  he  saw  it,  his  Southern  fellow-countrymen. 
He  announced  his  convictions  and  stood  by  them.  He 
never  profited,  as  we  measure  material  benefits ;  he  lost. 
The  qualities  he  exhibited  in  these  crucial  periods  of  his 
life  differentiated  the  man  from  the  time-server  and 
place-seeker. 

One  who  loved  him  and  was  close  to  him  in  life  said, 
regretfully,  not  long  ago,  in  speaking  of  him,  that  he 
never  did  anything  after  Appomattox  that  "  turned  out 
for  his  own  good."  I  felt  a  sudden  tightening  about 
my  heart  at  this  criticism.  Perhaps  as  we  view  worldly 
honors  and  earthly  goods  the  things  he  did  after  Appo 
mattox  did  not  "  turn  out  for  his  own  good."  But  to 
me  he  has  always  been  a  figure  of  more  sublime  courage 
in  the  gathering  storms  of  '67  and  the  years  that  fol 
lowed  than  on  any  of  the  brilliant  fields  of  the  Civil 
War.  And  I  love  best  to  think  of  him,  not  as  the  war 
rior  leading  his  legions  to  victory,  but  as  the  grand  citi- 

114 


LOVED  THE  SOUTH  TO  THE  LAST 

zen  after  the  war  was  ended,  nobly  dedicating  himself 
to  the  rehabilitation  of  his  broken  people,  offering 
a  brave  man's  homage  to  the  flag  of  the  established 
government,  and  standing  steadfast  in  all  the  passions, 
prejudices,  and  persecutions  of  that  unhappy  period. 
It  was  the  love  and  honor  and  soul  of  the  man  crystal 
lized  into  a  being  of  wonderful  majesty,  immovable  as 
Gibraltar. 

"  There  be  things,  O  sons  of  what  has  deserved  birth 
right  in  the  land  of  freedom,  the  '  good  of  which'  and 
'  the  use  of  which'  are  beyond  all  calculation  of  earthly 
goods  and  worldly  uses — things  that  cannot  be  bought 
with  a  price  and  do  not  die  with  death;"  these,  gathering 
strength  and  beauty  in  James  Longstreet's  character, 
through  the  four  terrible  years  of  warfare,  assumed 
colossal  proportions  in  the  dark  reconstruction  era. 
And  when  the  story  of  his  life  has  finally  been  told, 
in  all  its  grandeur,  the  finer  fame  will  settle  not  about 
the  valorous  soldier,  but  about  Longstreet,  the  patriot- 
citizen. 


THE   CHRISTIAN   PATRIOT   LOVED   THE 
SOUTH  TO   THE  LAST 

WHEN  General  Longstreet  quit  fighting,  he  quit 
fighting  for  good.  He  considered  that  the  South  was 
back  in  the  Union  to  stay.  There  is  no  doubt  in  the 
minds  of  many  with  whom  I  have  talked  that  General 
Longstreet's  conciliatory  course,  because  of  its  effect  in 
holding  thousands  obedient  to  the  laws  of  the  govern 
ment,  prevented  the  confiscation  of  much  property  in 
the  South  immediately  after  the  war,  and  greatly  alle 
viated  the  trials  of  that  distressing  period.  The  local 
ostracism  of  that  day  and  subsequently  cut  General 
Longstreet  deeply.  He  loved  the  South  with  all  the 

115 


LONGSTREET   THE   MAN 

tenderness  of  one  who  was  willing  to  die  for  it.  In  all 
the  quiet  hours  that  he  discussed  the  misrepresentations 
of  the  Southern  people,  the  resentment  they  bore  him, 
the  criticisms  and  slanders  that  had  been  hurled  at  him, 
I  never  heard  him  utter  a  word  against  them  or  give 
expression  to  a  note  of  bitterness.  But  I  think  towards 
the  last,  exhausted  by  much  suffering,  he  had  a  pitiful 
yearning  for  complete  reconciliation  with  all  his  people. 
Not  many  months  before  he  died  an  officer  of  the  North 
ern  armies  was  calling  on  him  at  his  hotel  in  Washing 
ton,  and  in  discussing  the  Civil  War  and  subsequent 
events,  and  General  Longstreet's  part  therein,  said, 
'  The  Southern  people  have  not  appreciated  you  since 
the  war,  General,  but  when  you  are  dead  they  will  build 
monuments  to  you."  General  Longstreet  said  nothing, 
but  his  eyes  slowly  filled.  While  he  bore  unjust  criti 
cism  in  silence,  he  was  visibly  moved  by  any  evidence  of 
affection  from  the  Southern  people. 

I  recall  two  very  beautiful  press  tributes  that  ap 
peared  last  summer  while  he  was  lying  desperately  ill  at 
his  home  in  Gainesville,  Georgia ;  one  was  from  the  pen 
of  Hon.  John  Temple  Graves,  in  the  Atlanta,  Georgia, 
News;  the  other  by  Mrs.  W.  H.  Felton,  an  old-time 
friend,  in  the  Atlanta  Journal.  Mr.  Graves,  a  repre 
sentative  of  the  splendid  new  South,  spoke  of  the  new 
generations  as  worthy  descendants  of  the  heroic  days, 
and  the  place  General  Longstreet  would  always  hold 
in  their  hearts ;  and  Mrs.  Felton,  one  of  the  important 
figures  of  the  old  South,  told  of  the  undying  love  for 
him  of  the  soldiers  of  the  Confederacy,  and  of  the  place 
he  had  worthily  won  in  the  affections  of  all  the  people ; 
she  wanted  to  speak  these  words  to  him  for  the  comfort 
they  would  give  him;  and  because  he  had  nobly  earned 
the  right  to  hear  them,  and  ten  thousand  times  more 
from  the  people  whose  battles  he  had  fought.  When 
he  seemed  out  of  immediate  danger,  and  strong  enough 

116 


LOVED  THE  SOUTH  TO  THE  LAST 

to  understand,  I  read  these  tributes  to  him,  and  he  wept 
like  a  child. 

The  forbearance  of  the  man  and  his  generous  feel 
ing  towards  those  who  used  him  harshly  finally  became 
a  wonder,  and  is  to-day  a  joy  for  me  to  remember.  I 
will  here  give  an  instance  or  two  touchingly  illustrative 
of  this  side  of  his  character.  General  Wade  Hamp 
ton,  as  stoical  as  ever  a  Roman  was,  felt  very  bitterly 
against  General  Longstreet  because  of  his  Republican 
politics.  He  expressed  his  feelings  freely  both  in  pub 
lic  and  private,  and  was  embittered  to  the  extent  that 
he  refused  to  speak  to  General  Longstreet.  When 
General  Longstreet  succeeded  him  as  United  States 
Commissioner  of  Railroads,  he  would  not  come  to  the 
office  to  turn  it  over  to  his  successor.  General  Long- 
street  went  to  the  office,  took  the  oath  alone,  and  en 
deavored  as  best  he  could  to  make  himself  acquainted 
with  the  duties  of  the  position.  When  he  came  home 
that  evening  and  told  me,  with  evident  surprise,  that 
General  Hampton  was  still  bitter  against  him,  I  asked, 
rather  in  the  hope  of  getting  a  reply  in  criticism  of 
General  Hampton,  "  What  sort  of  a  soldier  was  Gen 
eral  Hampton,  since  he  seems  so  intractable  in  civil 
life?"  General  Longstreet  replied,  without  a  moment's 
hesitation :  '  There  was  not  a  finer,  braver,  more  gal 
lant  officer  in  the  Confederate  service  than  Wade 
Hampton."  And  when  General  Hampton  died,  I  think 
the  most  splendid  tribute  paid  him  came  from  the  pen 
of  General  Longstreet. 

Years  ago  there  were  political  differences  between 
General  Longstreet  and  Judge  Emory  Speer,  now  of 
the  Federal  Bench  of  Georgia,  then  a  member  of 
Congress  from  the  old  Eighth  District  of  Georgia. 
General  Longstreet  felt  that  he  had  been  wronged. 
The  summer  before  his  death  we  were  at  Mt.  Airy, 

Georgia,   for  a   short  time.     One  day   I   saw  Judge 

nr 


LONGSTEEET  THE  MAN 

Speer  in  the  hotel  where  we  were  stopping,  and  asked 
General  Longstreet  how  he  was  going  to  receive  him 
if  Judge  Speer  should  come  to  speak  to  him,  in  view 
of  their  past  differences.  The  General  replied,  "  As  I 
would  receive  any  other  distinguished  American.  And 
as  for  our  past  differences,  that  has  been  a  long  time 
ago,  and  I  have  forgotten  what  it  was  all  about." 

General  John  B.  Gordon,  during  recent  years,  did 
General  Longstreet  injustice.  I  know  he  caused  him 
much  pain.  At  a  time  when  General  Longstreet  was 
suffering  horribly, — one  eye  had  already  been  destroyed 
by  the  dreadful  disease;  he  had  long  been  deaf  and 
paralyzed  from  war  service;  the  wound  in  his  throat 
was  giving  him  severest  pain, — at  this  sad  time  General 
Gordon  revived  the  old,  threadbare  story  that  he  had 
disobeyed  orders  at  Gettysburg.  But  when  a  reporter 
from  one  of  the  New  York  dailies  called  to  interview 
him  about  General  Gordon  and  his  charges,  he  refused 
to  say  one  word.  It  was  then  that  I  said,  "  If  you  will 
not  reply  to  General  Gordon,  I  will.  And  in  the  future, 
so  long  as  I  shall  live,  whenever  your  war  record  is  at 
tacked,  I  will  make  answer."  And  so  it  happened  that 
the  little  story  of  Gettysburg  was  written  while  General 
Longstreet  was  nearing  the  grave.  During  these  last, 
sorrowful  days  he  had  heard  that  General  Gordon  was 
not  in  good  health,  and  he  asked  me,  with  touching  con 
cern,  about  his  condition.  I  expected  to  tell  General 
Gordon  of  these  occurrences,  but  I  never  saw  him  again. 
The  Reaper  gathered  him  in,  ten  days  after  General 
Longstreet  answered  the  call. 

General  Longstreet  was  a  most  devout  churchman. 
In  early  life  he  was  an  Episcopalian,  and  he  regularly 
attended  that  church  in  New  Orleans  until  the  political 
differences  developed  between  himself  and  his  friends. 
After  that  he  noticed  that  even  his  church  associates 
avoided  him.  They  would  not  sit  in  the  same  pew  with 

118 


WORSHIPPED  BY  SOLDIERS  OF  THE  CONFEDERACY 

him.  Cut  to  the  quick  by  such  treatment,  he  began  to 
wonder  if  there  was  any  church  broad  enough  to  with 
stand  differences  caused  by  political  and  sectional  feel 
ing.  He  discovered  that  the  Roman  Catholic  priests 
extended  him  the  treatment  he  longed  for.  He  began 
to  attend  that  church,  and  has  said  that  its  atmosphere 
from  the  first  appealed  to  him  as  the  church  of  the 
sorrow-laden  of  earth.  He  was  converted  under  the 
ministration  of  Father  Ryan.  After  accepting  the 
faith  of  the  Catholic  Church  he  followed  it  with  beauti 
ful  devotion.  He  regarded  it  as  the  compensation  sent 
him  by  the  Almighty  for  doing  his  duty  as  he  saw 
it.  He  clung  to  it  as  the  best  consolation  there  was  in 
life.  He  went  to  his  duties  as  devoutly  as  any  priest  of 
the  church,  and  was  on  his  knees  night  and  morning, 
with  the  simple,  loving  faith  of  a  little  child. 


WORSHIPPED    BY    THE    SOLDIERS    OF 
THE    CONFEDERACY 

THE  political  estrangements  between  General  Long- 
street  and  many  of  the  leaders  of  the  South  never  ex 
tended  to  the  soldiers  who  did  any  large  amount  of 
fighting  for  the  South.  There  was  a  Confederate  re 
union  in  Atlanta  in  1898.  A  camp  of  Confederate  Vet 
erans,  of  Augusta,  Georgia,  made  up  of  his  old  com 
mand,  sent  General  Longstreet  a  special  request  to  come 
down  from  his  home  in  Gainesville,  and  to  wear  his  old 
uniform.  He  replied  that  his  uniform  had  been  de 
stroyed  years  ago  in  the  fire  which  burned  his  home  and 
practically  everything  else  he  had,  but  that  he  would 
gladly  go  down  with  what  was  left  of  himself — that 
his  old  trunk  of  a  body  was  the  only  relic  of  the  Con 
federacy  remaining  to  him.  They  then  secured  his 
measure  and  had  a  new  Confederate  uniform  made  for 

119 


LONGSTREET  THE   MAN 

him  to  represent  the  old  as  nearly  as  possible.  During 
all  his  stay  at  that  reunion  the  old  soldiers  flocked  about 
him  with  a  devotion  that  Napoleon  would  have  envied. 
They  went  wild  over  him.  When  he  went  to  the  dining- 
room  at  the  hotel,  the  doors  had  to  be  closed  so  that  he 
could  take  his  meals  without  interruption.  One  even 
ing,  in  the  Kimball,  his  old  "  boys"  surged  about  him 
by  the  thousands  for  hours,  eager  to  touch  his  hand, 
to  touch  his  garments,  to  look  into  his  face,  and  the 
tears  streamed  down  his  cheeks.  Just  before  that,  one 
day,  outraged  at  some  unkindness  that  had  come  from 
the  South,  I  had  said  to  General  Longstreet,  "  The 
Southern  people  are  no  longer  my  people.  I  have  no 
home  and  no  country."  In  the  midst  of  the  splendid 
demonstration  at  the  reunion  of  1898,  when  the  thou 
sands  who  had  followed  his  colors  stood  with  uncovered 
heads  in  his  honored  presence,  I  said  to  him,  "  This  is 
the  South  that  I  love,  because  it  loves  you;  it  is  the 
magnificent,  generous,  loyal  South  that  I  love  with 
every  impulse  of  my  heart;  these  are  my  people." 

I  think  he  never  forgot  the  Confederate  reunion  in 
Atlanta  in  1898.  His  old  soldiers  came  to  his  room  in 
a  continuous  stream.  One  afternoon,  when  he  was 
asleep,  utterly  worn  out,  a  one-legged,  one-armed  vet 
eran,  poorly  clad,  looking  poorly  fed,  came  to  his  room. 
I  told  him  of  the  General's  exhausted  condition — that 
he  needed  the  rest,  and  I  was  really  afraid  to  disturb 
him.  Then  he  said,  "  Won't  you  let  me  go  in  and  look 
at  my  old  commander,  asleep.  I  haven't  seen  him  since 
Appomattox.  I  came  all  the  way  from  Texas  to  see 
him,  and  I  may  never  see  him  again."  Without  a  word 
I  opened  the  door,  and  as  the  worn  veteran  looked  upon 
his  old  chieftain  we  both  cried.  In  the  midst  of  it  Gen 
eral  Longstreet  wakened  and  called  the  veteran  to  him. 
They  embraced  like  brothers  and  wept  together. 

On  the  eve  of  the  Spanish- American  War  General 

120 


WORSHIPPED  BY  SOLDIERS  OF  THE  CONFEDERACY 

Longstreet  received  hundreds  of  letters  from  his  old 
soldiers  in  every  part  of  the  country,  asking  for  the 
privilege  of  seeing  service  with  him  under  the  flag  of  the 
Union.  One  of  them  wrote :  "  If  this  country  is  going 
to  have  another  war,  I  want  to  be  in  it,  and  I  want 
to  follow  my  old  commander."  General  Longstreet  an 
swered  that  he  was  seventy-eight,  deaf,  and  paralyzed; 
that  he  had  two  sons  he  would  send  to  fight  for  him,  but 
that  if  his  country  needed  his  services,  his  sword  was  at 
its  command. 

As  Commissioner  of  Railroads,  General  Longstreet 
made  a  tour  of  the  West  in  1899.  He  was  received  with 
beautiful  consideration  everywhere,  but  the  welcome 
which  touched  him  most  was  that  of  his  old  soldiers 
who  greeted  him  in  every  State.  It  was  marvellous  to 
see  how  the  veterans  of  a  war  that  was  over  forty  years 
ago  had  scattered  through  the  West,  and  it  certainly 
seemed  that  every  one  there  had  heard  that  General 
Longstreet  was  coming,  and  came  to  the  nearest  station 
to  see  him.  With  them  were  many  Union  veterans  who 
gave  him  an  equally  cordial  greeting. 

I  will  digress  here  to  say  that  General  Longstreet 
could  never  stand  on  a  foot  of  Northern  soil  where  he 
was  not  received  with  every  manifestation  of  earthly 
honor  and  esteem  by  the  Union  veterans  and  their  de 
scendants,  and  this  touched  him  as  nothing  else  in  the 
world  could  have  done.  I  wish  to  offer  the  humble  trib 
ute  of  my  love  to  the  chivalrous  section  that  is  to-day  so 
close  to  my  heart;  the  honors  they  paid  General  Long- 
street,  their  tributes  to  him,  did  not  end  with  the  grave. 
Two  weeks  after  the  prospectus  of  this  little  volume 
had  been  sent  out,  the  first  edition  had  been  bought, 
long  before  it  was  ready  for  delivery,  by  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic,  and  the  orders  were  accom 
panied  by  testimonials  to  General  Longstreet  as  soldier 

and  patriot  that  would  make  a  memorial  volume  of  rich 

121 


LONGSTEEET   THE   MAN 

value,  and  a  brief  selection,  at  least,  I  hope  to  give  in 
future  editions. 

At  one  place,  on  his  Western  tour  in  1899,  it  became 
necessary  for  him  to  telegraph  to  an  official  of  the  Rock 
Island  road  to  ask  if  he  would  "  pass"  his  car.  It  hap 
pened  that  this  official  had  been  a  Union  officer  who  had 
received  hard  blows  from  Longstreet  on  many  bloody 
fields.  He  replied  that  in  the  old  days  that  tried  the 
courage  of  men  he  was  much  more  anxious  to  "  pass" 
Longstreet  than  to  meet  him;  that  now  he  was  going 
to  insist  on  meeting  him  first,  and  afterwards  he  would 
"  pass"  anything  the  General  wanted  him  to  "  pass." 

Next  to  the  pleasure  of  meeting  his  old  friends  on 
this  Western  tour,  General  Longstreet  most  enjoyed 
the  wonderful  development  of  the  country  that  had 
taken  place  since  he  was  chasing  wild  Indians  across  its 
wide  plains.  The  smiling  farms  that  greeted  him,  the 
magnificent  cities,  the  marvellously  fertile  irrigated  sec 
tions  that  he  had  last  beheld  as  deserts,  the  net-work  of 
competing  railroads  which  had  taken  the  place  of  the 
trail  and  the  half -worked  wagon-roads,  the  evidences 
everywhere  of  a  magnificent  country  built  up  by  pro 
gressive  people, — all  these,  with  all  the  suggestiveness 
attaching  to  them,  appealed  with  mighty  force  to  his 
heart  and  to  his  mental  appreciation.  The  picture  of 
industrial  growth  is  a  beautiful  and  impressive  one. 
It  is  a  story  in  itself  that  needs  only  a  suggestion  to 
make  it  as  large  a  part  of  this  as  it  should  make. 

Genuine  Americanism,  a  love  of  his  country  in  every 
sentiment  that  concerns  it  and  every  line  of  develop 
ment  affecting  it,  formed  a  very  large  and  attractive 
phase  of  General  Longstreet's  character.  And  so,  from 
every  stand-point  he  enjoyed  this  Western  trip  to  the 
full. 


122 


His  COUNTRY  HOME  IN  NORTH  GEORGIA 


HIS  COUNTRY  HOME  IN    PICTURESQUE 
NORTH   GEORGIA 

NEXT  to  the  smoke  of  battle  in  the  cause  of  his  coun 
try,  he  loved  nature  in  her  gentlest  and  most  quiet 
moods.  He  was  fond  of  the  forest  and  farm.  He 
owned  a  small  farm  near  Gainesville,  Georgia,  which 
was  one  of  the  delights  of  his  life.  Here  he  set  out  an 
orchard  and  a  vineyard  on  a  scale  somewhat  extensive, 
in  which  he  found  much  pleasure.  It  is  a  hilly,  un 
even  country,  this  rugged  Piedmont  section  of  north 
Georgia,  noted  for  its  red  clay,  its  rocks,  its  mighty 
trees,  the  wild  honeysuckles  that  carpet  its  woods,  and 
the  purity  of  the  air  that  sweeps  over  it  and  the  water 
that  gushes  in  abundance  from  its  depths.  General 
Longstreet  made  his  little  farm  in  this  picturesque  sec 
tion  as  productive  and  attractive  as  he  could.  It  was 
mostly  hills,  and  had  to  be  terraced  extensively  to  keep 
it  from  washing  away.  He  had  it  terraced  with  much 
care,  and  laid  off  something  after  the  manner  of  a 
battle-field.  Thereupon  the  people  around  jokingly 
called  it  "  Gettysburg." 

Here  he  had  built  and  lived  in  a  splendid  home  of  the 
old  colonial  style  of  architecture,  such  as  has  long  been 
popular  in  the  South.  The  house  was  richly  furnished. 
He  had  one  of  the  finest  libraries  in  the  South,  and  had 
collected  interesting  and  valuable  souvenirs,  and  fur 
nishings  from  all  over  the  world.  His  residence  was 
situated  on  a  lordly  eminence;  beyond,  the  everlasting 
mountains  stretched  in  unbroken  length;  in  the  valley 
between,  the  placid  waters  of  the  mountain  streams 
wound  lazily  to  the  sea.  The  location  was  most  beauti 
ful,  and  has  often  been  called  "  Inspiration  Point." 
Amid  these  romantic  surroundings  General  Longstreet 
dispensed  a  hospitality  characteristic  of  the  most  splen- 

123 


did  days  of  the  old  South.  He  often  laughingly  said 
that  his  house  became  a  rendezvous  for  old  Confederates 
who  were  hastily  going  West,  and  needed  a  "  little  aid." 
They  never  knocked  in  vain  at  his  door.  He  has  said 
that  a  favorite  tale  of  theirs  was  that  they  "  had  just 
killed  a  Yankee,  and  had  to  go  West  hurriedly;"  think 
ing,  of  course,  that  this  plea  would  strike  a  sympathetic 
chord. 

Some  twenty  years  ago  General  Longstreet's  home 
and  everything  it  contained,  save  the  people,  vanished 
in  flames.  After  that  he  lived  in  one  of  the  out-houses, 
a  small  frame  cottage  such  as  any  carpenter  might  build 
and  any  countryman  might  own. 

Some  years  ago  Hamlin  Garland  visited  Gainesville 
for  the  purpose  of  calling  on  General  Longstreet.  Af 
ter  talking  with  him  Mr.  Garland  wrote  a  very  interest 
ing  article  about  him.  He  especially  marvelled  that  he 
should  find  so  great  a  man,  so  colossal  a  character,  living 
in  such  modest  fashion,  seemingly  almost  forgotten  by 
all  sections  of  the  country  in  whose  destiny  he  had  played 
so  important  a  part.  He  said  he  found  a  world-famous 
general  pruning  grape-vines  on  a  red  hill-side  of  the 
picturesque  mountain  region  of  Georgia.  He  was  de 
lighted  with  his  versatility,  his  information,  and,  most 
of  all,  with  his  glowing  love  of  country  and  his  broad 
ideas  of  the  future  greatness  of  America. 

When  the  imposing  house  stood  and  when  he  after 
wards  occupied  the  cottage,  his  home  was  still  the 
boasted  "  show-place"  of  Gainesville.  He  was  Gaines 
ville's  grand  historic  character,  her  first  gentleman,  and 
her  best-loved  citizen.  Whatever  resentment  towards 
him  because  of  political  views  may  have  been  felt  in 
other  parts  of  the  country  where  men  wrere  striving  to  be 
at  the  head  of  state  processions,  in  his  little  home  city 
there  was  never  a  break  in  the  loving  and  proud  esteem 
in  which  he  was  held  by  his  home  people. 


124 


His  COUNTRY  HOME  IN  NORTH  GEORGIA 

Here  life  remained  interesting  to  him  to  the  last.  His 
heart  was  ever  young ;  when  he  died  he  was  eighty -three 
years  young.  Only  a  day  or  two  before  he  was  taken 
away  he  was  planning  things  that  were  to  take  place 
years  in  the  future.  Blindness,  deafness,  paralysis,  the 
decay  of  physical  faculties,  failed  to  move  his  dauntless 
courage  or  quell  his  splendid  determination. 

General  Longstreet's  last  days  were  spent  in  revising 
his  memoirs  of  the  Civil  War,  as  were  Grant's  in  writing 
his.  The  two  colossal  characters  passed  away  suffering 
the  excruciating  pains  of  the  same  dread  disease, — can 
cer, — both  disdaining  death,  heroic  to  the  end. 

On  the  eve  of  the  Spanish- American  War  General 
Longstreet  was  invited  by  the  New  York  Herald  to 
contribute  to  its  columns  a  paper  on  the  subject  of  the 
threatened  trouble  with  Spain. 

The  closing  paragraph  of  that  paper  comes  across 
the  years  a  prophecy  and  prayer  for  all  mankind: 

"  As  the  evening  hours  draw  near,  the  bugle  calls  of  the  eternal 
years  sound  clearer  to  my  understanding  than  when  drowned  in 
the  hiss  of  musketry  and  the  roar  of  cannon.  By  memory  of 
battle-fields  and  prophecy  of  coming  events,  I  declare  the  hope 
that  the  present  generation  may  witness  the  disbandment  of 
standing  armies,  the  reign  of  natural  justice,  the  ushering  in  of 
the  brotherhood  of  man.  If  I  could  recall  one  hour  of  my  distant 
but  glorious  command,  I  would  say,  on  the  eve  of  battle  with  a 
foreign  foe,  "  Little  children,  love  one  another." 


125 


LONGSTREET    ON  THE 
FIELDS  OF  MEXICO* 


CHAPTER    I 

THE   WINNING   OF   OUR  WESTERN   EMPIRE 

Mexico  will  always  be  a  land  of  romance.  Her  ruins  are  yet 
fragrant  with  memories  of  the  mighty  plans  of  Louis  Napoleon. 

AFTER  an  absence  of  fifty  years,  General  Longstreet 
revisited  Mexico  in  the  eventful  summer  of  1898,  lei 
surely  passing  over  some  of  the  scenes  of  his  early  mili 
tary  experiences.  Half  a  century  had  stolen  away,  yet 
architecturally  he  found  Mexico  but  little  changed. 
Few  of  the  old  landmarks  were  effaced.  Modern  ideas 
and  inventions  have  been  encouraged  and  do  prevail  in 
our  sister  republic,  but  the  dream-like  strangeness  of 
its  civilization  is  still  all-pervading.  Mexico  is  not  un 
like  Egypt  in  some  respects.  Everywhere  is  the  poetry 
of  a  past  age.  Egypt  has  its  sphinx  and  the  pyramids 
to  illustrate  a  mysterious  past;  in  Mexico  we  find  the 
temples  of  the  Aztecs  and  the  monuments  of  their  cruel 
conquerors.  The  Montezumas  have  left  the  impress  of 
their  race  and  civilization  on  every  hand.  To  the  north- 

*  Several  years  ago  General  Longstreet  hastily  prepared  in  the  rough 
quite  an  elaborate  history  of  the  Mexican  War,  the  publication  of  which 
was  forestalled  by  the  book  of  a  brother  officer  in  that  war,  of  which  he 
had  no  hint.  The  incidents  and  historical  data  of  this  short  story  are  from 
that  unpublished  history,  with  the  addition  of  General  Longstreet's  com 
ments  on  the  official  personnel  of  the  armies  of  Taylor  and  Scott,  and  their 
subsequent  careers  in  the  Union  and  Confederate  armies. 

127 


LONGSTREET   ON   THE   FlELDS   OF   MEXICO 

ern  visitor  Mexico  will  always  be  the  land  of  the  Aztecs, 
worshippers  of  the  sun. 

To  me  the  battle-fields  of  1846-47  were  of  supreme 
interest.  They  are  to  most  Americans  doubtless  the 
chief  magnet  of  attraction.  But  the  eye  of  an  active 
participant  in  those  glorious  achievements  of  American 
arms  sees  more  as  it  sweeps  over  the  valley  of  Mexico 
than  is  comprehensible  to  the  unprofessional  casual  ob 
server.  It  was  my  great  privilege — to-day  a  cherished 
memory — to  go  over  the  fields  that  stretch  away  from 
Chapultepec  with  a  war-worn  soldier  who  fifty  years 
earlier  had  there  learned  his  first  lessons  in  real  war 
fare. 

Mexico  will  always  be  a  land  of  romance.  Her  civi 
lization  stands  apart.  Her  ruins  are  yet  fragrant  with 
memories  of  the  mighty  plans  of  Louis  Napoleon. 
From  the  ill-fated  Maximilian  empire  to  our  own  war 
with  Mexico  seems  but  a  step  back,  and  yet  between 
the  steps  great  history  has  been  written. 

Excepting  Vera  Cruz  and  Cerro  Gordo,  the  scene 
of  all  the  leading  events  of  General  Scott's  campaign 
lie  almost  within  cannon-shot  of  the  Mexican  capital. 

The  four  battles  of  Contreras,  Churubusco,  Molino 
del  Rey,  and  Chapultepec,  which  decided  the  fate  of 
the  war,  occurred  within  a  period  of  four  weeks  and 
within  a  radius  of  a  dozen  miles.  The  Mexican  General 
Valencia  was  disastrously  routed  at  Contreras  August 
19,  1847,  and  Churubusco  was  fought  and  won  by  the 
Americans  next  day.  Then  there  was  a  short  truce  be 
tween  the  two  belligerents,  and  terms  of  peace  were 
proposed  by  an  American  plenipotentiary.  These  not 
proving  satisfactory,  hostilities  were  resumed.  Scott 
moved  with  energy.  On  September  8  the  battle  of  Mo- 
lino  del  Rey  occurred,  the  Americans  winning,  but  at 
heavy  sacrifice  in  killed  and  wounded.  The  successful 
assault  on  Chapultepec  hill  was  made  on  the  13th,  five 

128 


THE  WINNING  OF  OUR  WESTERN  EMPIRE 

days  later,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  14th  Scott's 
splendid  little  army  entered  the  Mexican  capital  and 
hoisted  its  flag  over  the  public  buildings.  The  belliger 
ents  engaged  in  these  affairs  were  comparatively  small 
and  the  losses  on  both  sides  very  severe.  The  Mexicans 
fought  well,  but  were  execrably  led.  With  the  fall  of 
Mexico  Scott  had  conquered  a  nation  with  an  army 
f  ewrer  in  numbers  than  the  single  corps  Longstreet  com 
manded  at  Gettysburg. 

Scott's  army,  for  the  most  part,  was  composed  of 
veteran  troops, — regulars,  with  a  considerable  contin 
gent  of  fine  and  well-officered  volunteers.  Most  of 
them  were  already  battle-seasoned,  having  participated 
in  General  Taylor's  initiatory  campaign  of  1846  on  the 
Rio  Grande,  where  they  had  signally  defeated  the  Mex 
icans  at  Palo  Alto,  Resaca  de  la  Palma,  and  Monterey. 
Taylor's  crowning  victory  at  Buena  Vista,  February 
23,  1847,  did  not  occur  until  after  Scott  had  drafted 
away  the  best  part  of  his  regulars  for  the  march  on 
Mexico. 

Among  them  were  the  Fourth  and  Eighth  Infantry 
regiments.  Lieutenant  Longstreet  had  served  in  both, 
— in  the  Fourth  as  brevet  second  lieutenant  after  grad 
uating  from  the  Military  Academy  in  1842,  up  to  1845, 
when  he  was  promoted  and  transferred  to  the  Eighth, 
and  he  was  lucky  enough  to  be  with  the  latter  in  the 
action  at  Palo  Alto,  May  8, 1846,  at  Resaca  de  la  Palma 
next  day,  and  in  the  siege  and  capture  of  Monterey, 
September  21  to  23,  of  the  same  year.  It  was  on  these 
fields  that  most  of  the  young  fellows  who  afterwards 
became  conspicuous  in  the  Union  and  Confederate 
armies  flashed  their  maiden  swords. 

In  the  Fourth,  among  Longstreet's  earlier  official 
and  social  intimates  at  Jefferson  Barracks  and  Camp 
Salubrity,  were  Captain  George  A.  McCall,  Lieuten 
ants  Augur,  Grant,  Alex.  Hays,  and  David  A.  Russell, 

9  129 


LONGSTREET   ON   THE   FlELDS   OF   MEXICO 

all  afterwards  distinguished  Union  generals.  Captain 
McCall  was  then  forty-three  years  old,  and  was  gradu 
ated  from  West  Point  in  1822,  just  twenty  years  ahead 
of  Longstreet's  class. 

The  subsequent  Civil  War  produced  some  singular 
anticlimaxes  to  these  old  Mexican  War  friendships.  It 
so  happened,  for  instance,  that  sixteen  years  afterwards, 
at  the  battle  of  Glendale  before  Richmond,  Long- 
street's  Confederate  division  was  pitted  against  Mc- 
Call's  smaller  Union  division,  and  the  Confederates  had 
the  best  of  it.  About  dusk,  after  the  heavy  fighting 
was  over,  McCall  and  his  staff  accidentally  rode  into 
the  Forty-seventh  Virginia.  Curiously  enough,  the 
Union  general  alone  was  captured  and  brought  to 
Longstreet's  head-quarters. 

Having  for  a  time  been  a  brevet  second  lieutenant 
under  McCall  in  the  old  Fourth  Infantry,  and  really 
commiserating  his  personal  mishap,  General  Longstreet 
cordially  advanced,  offering  his  hand  and  proffering 
such  hospitality  as  was  permissible  in  the  untoward 
circumstances.  But,  deeply  chagrined  by  his  defeat 
and  capture,  McCall  sullenly  repelled  Longstreet's 
friendly  advances.  It  only  remained  for  the  Union 
general  to  be  sent  back  to  Richmond  in  charge  of  a 
staff-officer  and  guard.  It  was  the  last  meeting  be 
tween  the  old  captain  and  his  former  lieutenant,  and, 
strangely,  was  McCall's  last  appearance  in  battle, 
though  he  was  exchanged  in  a  few  weeks.  He  some 
how  fell  into  disfavor  with  the  Washington  authori 
ties,  resigned  in  March,  1863,  and  died  on  a  farm  near 
Westchester,  Pennsylvania,  in  1868.  McCall  was  a 
fine  soldier  of  the  old  school.  Grant  was  also  a  second 
lieutenant  with  McCall  in  the  Fourth,  and  liked  him 
very  much. 

Alex.  Hays  and  Longstreet  had  been  associated  in 
both  regiments.  Like  Longstreet,  Hays  was  promoted 

130 


THE  WINNING  OF  OUR  WESTERN  EMPIRE 

and  transferred  from  the  Fourth  to  the  Eighth,  though 
upward  of  a  year  subsequently.  Grant  never  left  the 
Fourth  until  he  resigned  as  captain,  about  seven  years 
after  the  Mexican  War.  Hays  and  Grant  had  been 
friends  at  West  Point,  though  not  classmates,  and  very 
chummy  afterwards  while  subs,  in  the  old  Fourth  In 
fantry.  The  official  personnel  of  General  Taylor's 
army,  scant  three  thousand  men,  was  so  small  that  they 
were  almost  like  a  family.  Everybody  knew  everybody 
else. 

Hays  was  detached  from  the  Eighth  when  Scott  ad 
vanced  into  the  valley  of  Mexico,  but  was  engaged  in 
several  severe  affairs  in  defence  of  convoys  of  supplies 
to  the  front,  and  also  at  Heamantle  and  Sequaltiplan. 
After  that  war  was  over  he  resigned,  but  in  1861  imme 
diately  sought  service  again,  and  soon  rose  to  the  com 
mand  of  a  Union  division.  His  division  contributed 
materially  to  the  repulse  of  Longstreet's  attack  at 
Gettysburg  on  July  3.  But  poor  Hays  was  killed  in 
front  of  Longstreet's  lines  at  the  Wilderness  in  1864, 
the  first  battle  in  Virginia  after  his  old  comrade,  Grant, 
had  assumed  command  of  the  Union  armies.  Such  was 
the  fortune  of  war  of  the  civil  struggle. 

The  Eighth  Infantry  furnished  from  its  Mexican 
War  contingent  few  conspicuous  leaders  to  either  side 
in  the  subsequent  Civil  War.  The  regiment  was  com 
pelled  to  surrender  to  the  local  authorities  of  Texas 
early  in  1861,  and  were  detained  at  the  South  many 
months.  Only  a  few  of  its  old  officers  then  remained. 
All  those  of  Southern  proclivities  had  already  with 
drawn.  Longstreet  left  the  Eighth  in  1858,  ten  years 
after  peace  with  Mexico,  having  been  promoted  to 
major  and  paymaster.  By  detention  as  prisoners  of 
war  the  Union  soldiers  of  the  Eighth  were  deprived 
of  the  early  promotion  which  fell  to  the  lot  of  most 
regulars. 

131 


LONGSTREET   ON   THE   FIELDS  OF   MEXICO 

Out  of  all  the  officers  of  the  two  regiments  engaged 
in  Mexico,  only  seven,  it  appears,  espoused  the  South 
ern  cause,  and  of  these  but  three  attained  to  any  con 
siderable  rank  in  the  Confederate  armies, — Longstreet, 
Pickett,  and  Cadmus  E.  Wilcox.  Pickett  was  a  mag 
nificent  soldier,  one  of  the  most  daring  in  the  Confed 
erate  army. 

In  the  two  campaigns  of  Taylor  and  Scott  the  Fourth 
and  Eighth  lost  no  fewer  than  twelve  officers  killed 
and  fatally  wounded,  and  eighteen  others  seriously 
wounded,  a  very  heavy  percentage.  This  alone  proves 
that  the  Americans  had  no  walkover.  Every  foot  of  the 
ground  was  bravely  contested  by  the  Mexicans. 

To  continue  this  digression  a  little  farther,  it  may  be 
said  that  the  genesis  of  the  two  Mexican  campaigns  is 
not  well  understood.  Winfield  Scott  was  and  had  long 
been  the  commanding  general  of  the  United  States 
army,  and  entitled  as  such,  aside  from  his  military  re 
nown,  to  the  Mexican  command.  But  Scott,  a  Southern 
Whig,  was  ambitious  to  be  President.  The  Democratic 
administration  of  Polk  was  quite  naturally  chary  of 
giving  Scott  an  opportunity  to  win  public  applause 
through  a  victorious  military  campaign.  Scott  had 
early  submitted  a  plan  of  operations,  with  request  for 
permission  to  lead  an  American  army  into  Mexico.  But 
Zachary  Taylor,  then  only  a  colonel  and  brevet  briga 
dier,  was  chosen  for  the  purpose,  to  the  discomfiture  of 
Scott  and  his  coterie.  Of  course,  the  general-in-chief 
chafed  because  he  had  thus  designedly  been  over 
slaughed  by  a  junior. 

The  administration  overreached  itself.  Taylor's 
small  victories  in  northern  Mexico  in  the  Spring  of  1846 
were  so  greatly  magnified  by  the  press  of  the  States 
that  he  at  once  became  the  hero  of  the  hour.  Soon  he 
was  the  open  candidate  of  the  Whig  party  for  the 
Presidency;  for  Taylor,  like  Scott,  was  a  Southern 

132 


THE  WINNING  OF  OUR  WESTERN  EMPIRE 

Whig.  Polk  and  his  advisers  were  now  between  the 
devil  and  the  deep  sea.  To  beat  back  and  neutralize 
the  rising  Taylor  tide  they  precipitately  turned  to  Scott. 
His  original  plan  for  bringing  Mexico  to  terms  via 
Vera  Cruz  was  adopted,  and  he  assigned  to  the  com 
mand,  with  fulsome  assurances  of  ample  and  continued 
support,  which  were  never  fulfilled. 

Scott  was  thereupon  given  carte  blanche  to  withdraw 
such  force  of  regulars  from  Taylor  as  he  deemed  neces 
sary  to  the  successful  prosecution  of  his  proposed  in 
vasion,  and  meanwhile  Taylor,  with  some  five  thousand 
volunteers  and  a  slight  leaven  of  regular  troops,  was  to 
remain  on  the  defensive.  Then  something  happened. 
Taylor  did  not  choose  to  remain  stock  still,  but  ad 
vanced.  A  few  weeks  after  the  depletion  of  his  army, 
which  began  in  January,  1847,  and  before  Scott  had 
landed  at  Vera  Cruz  with  his  raw  volunteers,  Taylor 
worsted  Santa  Anna  at  Buena  Vista.  He  not  only  sig 
nally  defeated  the  foreign  enemy,  but  completed  the 
rout  of  the  Democratic  administration  at  Washington, 
and  the  next  year  was  nominated  by  the  Whigs  and 
elected  President  hands  down,  wholly  on  the  strength 
of  his  military  achievements.  Scott,  nominated  in  1852, 
was  disastrously  beaten  by  the  Democratic  candidate, 
Franklin  Pierce,  one  of  his  inconspicuous  civilian  brig 
adiers  in  Mexico.  It  must  have  been  a  galling  blow  to 
the  old  General's  pride.  His  defeat  was  the  death-blow 
of  the  Whig  party. 


133 


LONGSTREET   ON   THE   FlELDS  OF  MEXICO 

CHAPTER    II 

PECULIARITIES   OF   SCOTT   AND   TAYLOR 

As  we  gazed  down  from  Chapultepec's  heights,  on  that  fragrant 
day  of  1 898,  across  the  beautiful  valley  of  Mexico,  the  war  of  fifty 
years  agone  seemed  but  yesterday  to  him  who  on  those  fields  had 
added  a  new  star  of  the  first  magnitude  to  the  galaxy  of  American 
valor. 

SINCE  those  old  days  General  Longstreet  often  specu 
lated  on  the  result  if  Taylor  and  Scott  had  been  required 
to  handle  the  armies  of  Lee  and  Grant  and  meet  the 
conditions  which  confronted  the  great  Union  and  Con 
federate  leaders  at  the  crucial  periods  of  their  cam 
paigns.  He  concluded  that  both  would  have  maintained 
their  high  reputations  at  the  head  of  much  larger  bodies 
of  troops  than  they  marshalled  in  Mexico,  even  though 
confronted  by  abler  opponents  than  Santa  Anna,  sup 
ported  by  stronger  and  better-disciplined  armies  than 
the  half-starved,  ill-appointed  levies  he  brought  against 
them  at  Buena  Vista  and  Cerro  Gordo.  At  all  events, 
the  young  fellows  of  1846-47  to  a  man  believed  Taylor 
and  Scott  adequately  equipped  to  successfully  meet  any 
military  emergency. 

They  were  extraordinary  characters.  Both  were 
practised  officers  dating  back  to  the  war  of  1812,  though 
neither  was  a  West  Point  graduate.  Scott  on  the 
Canadian  frontier  had  commanded  against  considera 
ble  bodies  of  disciplined  British  troops  in  pitched  battle, 
and  came  off  with  increased  reputation.  He  had  then 
visited  Europe  and  observed  the  continental  armies. 
He  was  well  educated;  had  studied  for  the  bar,  but  by 
preference  took  up  the  military  profession,  of  which  he 
was  a  diligent  student.  Scott  was  thoroughly  up  in  the 

134 


PECULIARITIES  OF  SCOTT  AND  TAYLOR 

literature  of  war.  To  a  cultivated  mind  he  added  a 
colossal  person  and  a  fine  presence. 

General  Scott's  chief  fault  was  an  overweening  per 
sonal  vanity  which  often  took  the  form  of  mere  pedan 
try,  not  unseldom  bringing  him  into  personal  ridicule. 
Insufferably  pompous,  he  invariably  maintained  a  vast, 
unbending  dignity,  both  of  manner  and  speech,  whether 
oral  or  written.  The  subalterns  of  the  army  looked 
upon  him  with  absolute  awe.  Many  a  brevetted  cadet 
would  readily  have  chosen  to  go  against  a  Mexican  in- 
trenchment  rather  than  into  the  commanding  general's 
presence.  He  brooked  no  familiarity  from  high  or  low. 
While  he  sometimes  indulged  in  a  sort  of  elephantine 
affability,  he  was  naturally  dictatorial  towards  all  sub 
ordinates,  though  always  within  the  limits  of  decency. 
Scott's  was  not  at  all  the  overbearing  insolence  of  the 
coward.  He  always  rode  in  full  uniform,  with  all  the 
insignia  of  his  rank  visible  to  the  naked  eye. 

Such  a  queer  combination  of  bigness  and  littleness, 
learning,  practical  ability,  and  whimsicality  formed  a 
character  sure  to  create  enemies,  and  it  must  be  said 
that  Scott  had  plenty  of  them,  both  in  and  out  of  the 
army.  By  them  he  was  derisively  dubbed  "  Old  Fuss 
and  Feathers."  Notwithstanding  his  weakness,  the 
General  was  physically  and  morally  a  very  brave  man. 
He  was  cool  and  deliberate  in  forming  his  military 
plans,  and  once  determined  upon  they  were  prosecuted 
with  unhesitating  energy  and  precision.  Above  all  he 
was  an  honest  man.  Undoubtedly  General  Scott  pos 
sessed  a  comprehensive  military  mind. 

Equally  cool  and  careful  in  planning,  equally  ener 
getic  in  execution,  and  equally  brave,  honest,  and  true, 
in  other  respects  Taylor  was  an  entirely  different  type 
of  man.  Personally  he  was  the  antipodes  of  the  hand 
some  giant,  Scott,  being  only  of  middle  stature.  His 
complexion  was  swarthy  and  his  face  rugged  and 

135 


LONGSTREET   ON   THE   FlELDS  OF   MEXICO 

homely,  but  with  a  kindly  expression.  Unlike  Scott 
again,  Taylor's  schooling  had  been  limited,  yet  without 
any  affectation  of  style  he  wrote  clearly  and  vigorously. 
From  the  age  of  one  year  he  had  lived  the  life  of  a  Ken 
tucky  frontier  farmer  boy  up  to  his  entry  into  the  army 
as  a  lieutenant  in  1808. 

Taylor's  military  experience,  confined  wholly  to  the 
Western  border  in  1812,  was  limited  to  outpost  affairs 
with  Indians  and  the  few  squads  of  British  soldiers  and 
borderers  who  supported  them.  As  an  officer  he  had 
never  met  so  much  as  a  full  company  of  disciplined  sol 
diers  until  Palo  Alto.  Taylor  never  wore  his  uniform, 
or  almost  never.  He  dressed  in  rough  clothes  no  better 
than  those  worn  by  the  common  soldier.  He  was  often 
seen  riding  without  his  staff  or  other  attendant,  seeing 
things  with  his  own  eyes.  He  was  frank  and  somewhat 
rough,  but  kindly  in  speech.  While  he  was  not  without 
proper  dignity,  he  talked  and  acted  straight  to  the  mark 
without  much  consideration  for  appearances.  He 
treated  his  subordinates  with  easy  consideration,  and 
was  often  seen  joking  and  laughing  with  mere  sub 
alterns.  He  was  given  the  sobriquet  of  "  Old  Rough 
and  Ready"  by  the  army,  in  which  he  was  dearly  loved 
by  all.  It  was  a  title  which  rang  through  the  country 
in  the  political  campaign  of  1848.  He  not  only  in 
spired  universal  good  will,  rough  and  uncultivated  as 
he  was,  but  confidence.  Such  were  the  two  Mexican 
commanders. 

As  we  gazed  down  from  Chapultepec's  heights,  on 
that  fragrant  day  of  1898,  across  the  beautiful  valley 
of  Mexico,  the  war  of  fifty  years  agone  seemed  but 
yesterday  to  him  who  on  those  fields  had  added  a  new 
star  of  the  first  magnitude  to  the  galaxy  of  American 
valor.  Memories  of  the  glorious  past  rushed  through 
his  mind.  Here  Grant  and  Lee  had  taken  their  first 
lessons  in  practical  warfare  on  a  considerable  scale. 


136 


PECULIARITIES  OF  SCOTT  AND  TAYLOR 

Here  had  been  won  not  only  Texas,  but  the  vast  domain 
away  to  the  Pacific.  Since  then  what  social,  industrial, 
and  political  revolutions  had  he  not  witnessed.  From 
the  Mississippi  had  spread  out  a  great  republic,  reach 
ing  from  ocean  to  ocean.  He  had  seen  the  Southern 
Confederacy  rise  and  fall,  and  colossal  history,  along 
the  way  from  Chapultepec  to  Manila,  written  in  the 
blood  of  the  nation's  strong  men.  And  Mexico  has  not 
been  behind  in  the  mighty  changes  that  have  swept  over 
the  continent  since  her  bitter  humiliation  in  1847.  She 
has  advanced  by  heroic  strides,  especially  under  the  wise 
leadership  of  Diaz. 

But  after  all  it  was  not  wrholly  the  great  events  of 
half  a  century  that  crowded  upon  General  Long- 
street's  memory  at  this  interesting  juncture.  Curiously 
enough,  his  mind  persisted  in  fixing  itself  upon  minor 
incidents, — social  and  personal  relations, — on  the  com 
rades  who  had  here  and  elsewhere  laid  down  their  lives 
in  the  service,  on  others  who  had  risen  to  distinction  or 
dropped  out  of  the  running.  The  "  boys"  of  '46  and 
'47  again  crowded  upon  him.  It  could  hardly  be  other 
wise,  for  they  were  a  band  of  brothers  then.  When 
General  Taylor's  little  Army  of  Observation  was  col 
lected  in  western  Louisiana,  the  whole  regular  estab 
lishment  of  the  United  States  consisted  of  no  more  than 
12,139  officers  and  men.  The  Army  of  Occupation 
which  was  concentrated  at  Corpus  Christi,  Texas,  in  the 
fall  of  1845,  numbered  only  three  thousand  men. 

The  days  of  Corpus  Christi  still  formed  a  vivid  picture 
in  General  Longstreet's  mind.  The  oldest  officers  pres 
ent — even  General  Taylor  himself — had  never  seen  so 
large  a  body  of  the  regular  army  together.  Adjoin 
ing  the  camp  were  extensive  level  prairies,  admirably 
adapted  to  military  manoeuvres.  Many  of  the  officers 
had  not  taken  part  in  even  a  battalion  drill  since  leaving 
West  Point,  and  with  most  of  them  evolutions  of  the 

137 


LONGSTREET   ON   THE   FlELDS   OF  MEXICO 

line  had  only  been  read  in  tactics.  So  widely  had  the 
troops  been  scattered,  and  in  such  small  detachments, 
to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  country's  extensive 
frontiers,  that  there  were  colonels  who  had  never  seen 
their  entire  regiments. 

This  concentration  aif orded  opportunity  for  practical 
professional  instruction  and  discipline  which  was  ap 
preciated  and  availed  of.  But  with  this  preparatory 
work  there  were  amusements,  and  lasting  friendships 
were  formed;  perhaps  a  few  equally  lasting  enmities. 
Game  and  fish  abounded.  There  were  no  settlements; 
the  country  was  absolutely  wild.  Within  a  few  hours' 
ride  of  the  camps  were  wild  turkeys  in  flocks  of  twenty 
to  forty;  deer  and  antelope  were  numerous,  and  not 
far  afield  were  vast  droves  of  wild  mustangs.  Wolves 
and  coyotes  were  everywhere,  and  occasionally  a  Mexi 
can  lion  (cougar)  was  found.  Many  of  the  young  offi 
cers  became  expert  hunters.  Muzzle-loading  shot-guns 
were  used  mainly ;  there  were  no  breech-loaders  in  those 
days.  The  camp  tables  fairly  groaned  with  game 
dishes;  wild  turkey  and  venison  finally  so  palled  upon 
many  of  the  soldiers  as  actually  to  become  distasteful, 
and  the  old  reliable  beef  and  pork  of  the  commissariat 
was  resorted  to  in  preference. 

Wild  horses  were  lassoed  and  brought  into  camp  by 
Mexicans  and  tame  Indians,  and  sold  to  the  Americans 
for  two  or  three  dollars  a  head.  An  extra  good  animal 
would  sometimes  bring  twelve  dollars,  which  was  the 
tip-top  price.  A  good  many  were  purchased  by  the 
quartermaster  for  the  use  of  the  army,  and  proved  very 
serviceable.  These  animals  looked  something  like  the 
Norman  breed;  they  had  heavy  manes  and  tails,  and 
were  much  more  powerful  than  the  plains  ponies 
farther  north  of  a  later  date.  They  foraged  for  them 
selves  and  flourished  where  the  American  horse  would 
deteriorate  and  soon  die. 

138 


UNPRETENTIOUS  LIEUTENANT  GRANT 


CHAPTER    III 

UNPRETENTIOUS  LIEUTENANT   GRANT 

It  was  not  until  Grant  came  East  during  the  Civil  War  that 
Longstreet  began  fully  to  appreciate  his  military  ability.  Grant's 
successes  at  Donelson,  Shiloh,  and  Vicksburg  were  but  vaguely 
understood  in  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  where  they  were 
mainly  ascribed  to  bad  generalship  on  the  Confederate  side,  and 
some  blundering  good  luck  on  Grant's  part. 

LIEUTENANT  GRANT,  of  the  Fourth,  had  acquired 
great  reputation  at  the  Military  Academy  as  an  expert 
horseman.  He  was  always  the  show  rider  upon  great 
occasions.  He  greatly  added  to  this  reputation  at  Cor 
pus  Christi.  He  was  regimental  quartermaster,  and  had 
much  to  do  with  these  horses.  He  bought  several  of 
the  better  class  for  his  own  use.  While  riding  one  and 
leading  the  others  to  water  one  day,  just  before  the 
army  moved  to  the  Rio  Grande,  his  colored  servant 
lost  the  whole  bunch,  or  perhaps  sold  them  for  his  own 
account.  He  claimed  that,  throwing  him  off,  they 
jerked  loose  and  stampeded  away.  There  was  a  joke 
among  the  boys  that,  upon  being  told  of  the  incident, 
General  Taylor  humorously  remarked,  "  Yes,  I  under 
stand  Mr.  Grant  lost  five  or  six  dollars'  worth  of  horses 
recently,"  satirically  referring  to  their  extraordinary 
cheapness.  Grant  declined  to  buy  more  horses  for  his 
private  use.  Soon  after,  the  army  advanced  to  the  Rio 
Grande,  and  foot  officers  had  no  use  for  horses. 

The  unpretentious  Grant  was  soon  famous  through 
out  the  army  as  a  "  bronco  buster,"  in  the  sense  the 
term  is  now  familiarly  used.  He  would  unhesitatingly 
mount  and  soon  bring  to  terms  the  most  vicious  of  wild 

139 


LONGSTREET   ON   THE   FlELDS   OF   MEXICO 

horses.  On  horseback  he  was  a  very  centaur.  In  no 
other  manner  could  an  animal  unhorse  Grant  than  by 
lying  down  and  rolling  over.  A  large  group  of  inter 
ested  officers  one  day  had  opportunity  to  observe  his 
success  in  dealing  with  an  unbroken  horse.  An  Indian 
had  brought  to  camp  a  splendid  specimen  which  had 
struck  Grant's  fancy,  and  for  which  he  paid  the  record 
price  of  twelve  dollars.  It  seemed  to  prance  on  springs 
of  steel;  its  beautiful  head  was  carried  on  high,  and 
the  noble  eyes  shot  sparks  of  fire.  While  two  grooms 
held  it  by  lariats  from  either  side,  Grant  blindfolded  the 
stallion.  Then  the  regulation  accoutrements  of  Span 
ish  saddle  and  heavy-bitted  bridle  were  adjusted,  and 
Grant  mounted,  his  heels  armed  with  an  enormous  pair 
of  Mexican  spurs. 

Thus  blindfolded,  the  beautiful  animal  had  stood 
stock  still,  trembling  like  an  aspen.  The  instant  his 
eyes  were  uncovered  he  sprang  forward  like  a  shot. 
Grant  held  his  seat  firmly.  Then  the  horse  began  to 
"  buck," — that  is,  to  jump  high  into  the  air,  at  the  same 
moment  suddenly  crooking  his  back  upward  with  intent 
to  throw  off  his  burden.  This  was  repeated  time  after 
time,  of  course  without  dislodging  Grant,  who  was  up 
to  that  sort  of  thing.  The  proceeding  was  greeted  by 
the  by-standers  with  shouts  of  laughter  and  yells  of 
"  Hang  on,  Grant,"  "  Don't  let  him  down  you,  old 
boy,"  etc.  The  animal  presently  tired  of  this  work,  and 
at  the  proper  juncture  the  cool-headed  rider  vigorously 
applied  the  spurs,  at  the  same  time  loosening  the  rein, 
when  the  stallion  plunged  straight  forward  at  a  break 
neck  pace  through  the  chaparral  and  cacti  of  the  plain. 
The  soldiers  watched  them  until  they  disappeared,  and 
the  uninitiated  wondered  if  they  should  ever  see  Grant 
alive  again.  Two  hours  later  they  returned  at  a  slow 
walk,  both  exhausted,  the  horse's  head  down  and  his 
sides  wet  with  sweat  and  foam.  He  was  conquered,  and 

140 


UNPRETENTIOUS  LIEUTENANT  GRANT 

was  thereafter  as  docile  as  any  well-trained  American 
horse. 

When  not  on  duty,  Grant's  chief  amusement  at  Cor 
pus  Christi  was  horseback  riding.  He  was  no  sports 
man,  and  only  occasionally  played  "  brag'*  for  small 
stakes.  Longstreet's  classmate,  Lieutenant  Benjamin, 
of  the  Fourth  Artillery,  came  in  one  day  with  a  story 
about  Grant's  one  attempt  at  gunning  for  turkeys. 
The  two,  on  a  short  leave  with  other  officers,  had  made 
a  journey  on  horseback  to  Austin  late  in  the  fall  of 
1845,  accompanying  a  train  of  supplies.  Returning, 
the  party  was  reduced  to  three, — Benjamin,  Grant,  and 
Lieutenant  Augur,  afterwards  major-general  in  the 
Union  army.  Augur  fell  sick  and  was  left  at  Goliad, 
to  be  picked  up  by  a  train  following.  At  Goliad  Grant 
and  Benjamin  went  out  to  shoot  turkeys.  Benjamin 
was  a  good  shot  and  soon  returned  to  camp  with  several 
fine  birds.  He  found  Grant  already  in,  but  without 
any  game.  The  latter  said  that  a  large  flock  of  turkeys 
had  taken  flight  in  twos  and  threes  from  branches  of  the 
pecan-trees  overhead,  some  of  them  calmly  looking  at 
him  several  moments  before  taking  wing.  He  had 
watched  them  with  much  interest  until  the  last  turkey 
had  disappeared.  Then  it  suddenly  occurred  to  him 
that  he  had  come  out  to  shoot  turkeys.  "  I  concluded, 
Benjamin,  from  this  circumstance,"  explained  Grant, 
with  much  chagrin,  "  that  I  was  not  cut  out  for  a  sports 
man,  so  I  returned  to  the  house,  confident  you  would 
bring  in  plenty  of  birds."  This  explanation  was  offered 
with  the  utmost  simplicity,  and  Benjamin  repeated  it 
with  much  unction.  Poor  Benjamin  did  not  live  to  see 
the  heights  of  fame  reached  by  the  little  lieutenant  who 
did  not  know  enough  to  shoot  wild  turkeys  in  1845.  He 
was  killed  at  the  storming  of  the  city  of  Mexico,  Sep 
tember  13,  1847. 

These  anecdotes  of  a  distinguished  man  naturally 

141 


LONGSTREET   ON   THE   FlELDS   OF   MEXICO 

find  place  in  a  potpourri  paper  of  this  kind,  but  their 
special  purpose  is  to  show  Grant's  personal  character 
istics,  and  in  some  sort  the  estimate  placed  upon  him 
by  his  comrades  of  sixty  years  ago.  But  in  those  days 
the  young  fellows  of  the  army  fooled  away  no  time  in 
estimating  upon  the  intellectual  capacity  of  even  the 
most  promising  associate.  Grant  was  just  simply  an 
unobtrusive,  every-day  second  lieutenant,  without  spe 
cial  promise  or  remarkable  traits.  It  must  be  said  that 
no  one  looked  upon  him  then  as  the  coming  great  man 
of  the  greatest  war  of  civilized  times.  Rather  quiet, 
seldom  seeking  crowds,  Grant  nevertheless  enjoyed  his 
friends,  and  among  them  was  both  a  voluble  and  inter 
esting  talker.  The  alleged  taciturnity  of  the  later  time 
was  assumed  to  shut  off  busy  bodies — it  was  only  judi 
cious  reticence.  He  was  quickly  known  as  a  very  brave 
and  enterprising  soldier  in  action,  and,  in  fact,  distin 
guished  himself  under  both  Taylor  and  Scott.  He  and 
Longstreet  were  intimate  friends  from  1839  through 
the  seven  years  ending  with  the  Mexican  War,  and 
often  met  in  friendliest  relations  after  the  Civil  War. 
Grant  never  forgot  a  friend  in  need. 

It  was  not  until  Grant  came  East  during  the  Civil 
War  that  Longstreet  began  to  fully  appreciate  his  mili 
tary  ability.  Grant's  successes  at  Donelson,  Shiloh, 
and  Vicksburg  were  but  vaguely  understood  in  the 
Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  where  they  were  mainly 
ascribed  to  bad  generalship  on  the  Confederate  side,  and 
some  blundering  good  luck  on  Grant's  part.  But  after 
the  war  was  over  and  access  was  had  to  the  inside  his 
tory  of  those  events,  Longstreet  soon  perceived  that 
the  Vicksburg  campaign  was  one  of  the  greatest  in 
military  history,  and  that  Pemberton's  destruction  was 
almost  wholly  due  to  Grant's  bold  conception  of  the 
military  requirements  to  fulfil  the  expectations  of  his 
government. 

149 


UNPRETENTIOUS  LIEUTENANT  GRANT 

Longstreet  had  been  near  by  when  Grant  attacked 
and  defeated  Bragg  at  Chattanooga,  and  also  thought 
that  victory  was  largely  due  to  overwhelming  num 
bers  and  Bragg's  incapacity  to  perceive  the  impending 
storm.  Longstreet  wrote  to  General  Lee  from  East 
Tennessee,  some  time  in  the  winter  of  1863-64,  that 
he  need  have  no  fear  of  Grant,  then  presumptively 
booked  for  the  Army  of  the  Potomac ;  that  he  was  over 
estimated,  largely  from  his  prestige  acquired  against 
inferior  commanders,  etc.  But  in  the  very  beginning 
of  the  Wilderness  campaign  in  1864  the  commander  of 
the  First  Corps  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  saw 
a  power  displayed  in  manoeuvring  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  which  the  Confederates  had  never  met  before. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  General  Lee  himself  appreciated 
that  he  had  a  new  and  puzzling  force  to  deal  with.  At 
the  Wilderness  Lee  assumed  the  offensive  the  moment 
Grant  crossed  the  Rapidan,  essaying  the  same  tactics 
that  had  been  practised  upon  Hooker  at  Chancellors- 
ville,  but  he  failed.  The  Confederates  withstood  Grant 
in  the  Wilderness,  but  it  was  the  last  time  General  Lee 
attempted  a  general  offensive.  This  was  somewhat  due 
to  his  inferior  numbers  and  waning  morale,  but  it  was 
mainly  because  of  Grant's  presence.  The  year  before, 
after  what  was  practically  a  drawn  battle  at  Chancel- 
lorsville,  Hooker,  with  double  Lee's  force,  withdrew 
across  the  river.  He  had  between  twenty-five  thousand 
and  thirty-thousand  men  who  had  scarcely  fired  a  gun 
in  battle.  Grant,  with  fewer  men  than  Hooker,  fought 
a  larger  Confederate  army  at  the  Wilderness.  It,  too, 
was  no  more  than  a  drawn  battle,  yet  Grant  had  no 
thought  of  recrossing  the  river  to  recuperate.  He 
moved  forward  and  immediately  put  General  Lee  on 
the  defensive. 

General  Lee  at  last  realized  that  the  Confederacy's 
only  hope  was  defensive  battle,  and  his  fame  as  a  Gen- 

143 


LONGSTREET   ON   THE   FlELDS   OF   MEXICO 

eral  will  rest  wholly  on  that  campaign.  If  he  had  per 
sisted  in  the  tactics  employed  against  Hooker  and  Pope 
and  McClellan,  his  army  would  have  been  destroyed  in 
ten  days  after  the  Wilderness.  Grant  really  had  the 
Army  of  Northern  Virginia  on  the  go  on  the  morning 
of  the  6th  of  May;  it  was  saved  from  utter  rout  only 
by  the  timely  arrival  of  the  First  Corps,  which  rolled 
back  Hancock's  victorious  lines  upon  the  Brock  road 
and  beyond. 


CHAPTER    IV 

PLEASANT  INCIDENTS  OF  CAMP  LIFE  AT  CORPUS  CHRISTI 

The  reunion  at  Corpus  Christi  made  a  deep  impression  upon  the 
fledglings  of  the  service.  The  long  encampment  there  formed  a 
green  spot  in  the  memory  of  the  little  army  that  bore  our  colors 
in  triumph  to  the  city  of  Mexico. 

AMONG  General  Longstreet's  pleasant  memories  of 
camp  life  at  Corpus  Christi  was  a  rude  theatre  erected 
by  a  joint  stock  company  of  the  young  officers,  who 
acted  in  the  plays  produced  on  its  boards,  taking  both 
male  and  female  parts.  Many  roaring  comedies  were 
billed,  and  cheered  the  garrison  from  time  to  time.  The 
enlisted  men  were  of  course  permitted  to  pay  the  en 
trance  fee  and  see  the  best  that  was  going.  General 
Worth  was  always  a  delighted  auditor,  General  Taylor 
occasionally  honored  the  entertainments  with  his  pres 
ence,  and  General  Twiggs  rarely.  After  exhausting 
the  field  of  comedy  and  having  already  reimbursed 
themselves  for  all  outlays,  the  officers  concluded  to 
enter  the  more  expensive  and  difficult  field  of  tragedy. 
The  first  play  chosen  was  the  Moor  of  Venice.  Lieu 
tenant  Porter,  brother  of  Admiral  Porter,  was  assigned 
the  part  of  Othello,  whilst  Lieutenant  Longstreet  was 

144 


INCIDENTS  OF  CAMP  LIFE  AT  CORPUS  CHRISTI 

nominated  for  Desdemona;  but  upon  inspection  the 
manager  protested  that  six  feet  dignified  in  crinoline 
would  not  answer  even  for  a  tragic  heroine.  So  Long- 
street  was  discarded  and  Grant  substituted.  Finally, 
after  a  rehearsal  or  two,  Grant,  too,  had  to  give  way 
under  protests  of  Porter  that  male  tragediennes  could 
not  give  the  proper  sentiment  to  the  play.  Then  the 
officers  "  chipped  in"  and  sent  to  New  Orleans  for  a 
real  actress,  and  thereafter  all  went  well.  The  play  was 
pulled  off  eventually  with  as  much  eclat  as  followed 
General  Taylor's  first  victory  a  few  months  later  on  the 
Rio  Grande. 

A  volume  could  be  filled  with  incidents  of  those 
sunny  days  on  the  Mexican  Gulf,  the  incipient  stage 
of  the  first  campaign  in  real  war  for  the  young  offi 
cers.  They  gave  little  heed  of  the  morrow.  Their  pay 
was  small,  but  their  requirements  were  on  even  a  less 
scale.  There  was  a  good  deal  of  drilling,  but  otherwise 
their  duties  w^ere  far  from  onerous.  A  large  propor 
tion  of  the  cadets  Longstreet  had  known  at  West  Point 
from  1838  to  1842  were  there  congregated,  and  old 
associations  were  renewed.  Of  course,  all  these  officers 
were  not  intimates,  but  nearly  all  were  personal  ac 
quaintances  on  the  most  friendly  footing.  Every  one 
brought  his  share  to  the  common  aggregate  of  interest 
and  pleasure. 

Among  the  officers  there  collected  who  afterwards 
became  prominent  in  the  Union  and  Confederate  ar 
mies,  in  addition  to  those  already  mentioned,  were  Wil 
liam  J.  Hardee,  Thomas  Jordan,  John  C.  Pemberton, 
Braxton  Bragg,  Earl  Van  Dorn,  Samuel  G.  French, 
Richard  H.  Anderson,  Robert  S.  Garnett,  Barnard  E. 
Bee,  Bushrod  R.  Johnson,  Abram  C.  Myers,  Lafayette 
McLaws,  and  E.  Kirby  Smith,  of  the  Confederate  ser 
vice;  and  J.  K.  F.  Mansfield,  George  G.  Meade,  Don 
Carlos  Buell,  George  H.  Thomas,  X.  J.  T.  Dana, 

10  145 


LONGSTREET   ON   THE   FlELDS   OF   MEXICO 

Charles  F.  Smith,  Joseph  J.  Reynolds,  John  F.  Rey 
nolds,  Abner  Doubleday,  Alfred  Pleasanton,  Thomas 
J.  Wood,  Seth  Williams,  and  George  Sykes,  distin 
guished  Union  generals  in  the  Civil  War.  There  were 
many  others  too  numerous  to  mention.  Longstreet 
afterwards  met  many  of  these  officers  as  mortal  foes 
on  the  field  of  battle.  He  served  with  others  in  the 
Confederate  armies,  and  others  served  under  him.  Mc- 
Laws  and  Pickett  were  long  fighting  division  com 
manders  in  his  corps. 

Robert  E.  Lee,  George  B.  McClellan,  G.  T.  Beaure- 
gard,  and  Joseph  E.  Johnston  were  not  with  Taylor, 
and  they  and  others,  notably  E.  R.  S.  Canby,  Isaac  I. 
Stevens,  and  John  G.  Foster,  did  not  join  the  army 
until  Scott's  campaign  opened  in  1847,  though  it  ap 
pears  that  Lee  was  with  General  Wool's  column  in  the 
movement  towards  Chihuahua.  They  were  among  the 
great  names  of  the  subsequent  Civil  War.  Jefferson 
Davis,  colonel  of  the  Mississippi  Rifles,  joined  Taylor 
after  Scott  had  withdrawn  the  regulars,  but  in  time  to 
turn  the  tide  of  battle  at  Buena  Vista.  Altogether  it 
was  a  brilliant  roster.  They  were  all  graduates  of  the 
Military  Academy.  Of  all  the  officers  collected  at  Cor 
pus  Christi,  it  is  doubtful  if  there  is  to-day  a  score  of 
survivors.  A  large  number  were  killed  in  action.  A 
far  greater  number  died  of  disease  in  the  Mexican  or 
Civil  War  campaigns. 

Besides  the  long  list  of  West  Pointers,  there  were  at 
Corpus  Christi  many  regulars  appointed  from  civil  life, 
meritorious  officers  who  afterwards  made  their  mark. 
One  of  these  was  Lawrence  P.  Graham,  a  Virginian, 
already  a  captain  in  the  Second  Dragoons.  He  was 
some  six  years  Longstreet's  senior.  After  Mexico 
Graham  stuck  to  the  old  army,  rose  to  the  colonelcy  of 
the  Fourth  Cavalry  in  1864,  and  was  a  Union  brigadier 
of  volunteers.  He  had  been  in  the  army  nearly  ten 


146 


INCIDENTS  OF  CAMP  LIFE  AT  CORPUS  CHRISTI 

years  when  the  Mexican  War  broke  out.  He  still  sur 
vives  at  the  green  old  age  of  eighty-eight,  a  retired  colo 
nel  since  1870,  thirty-three  years.  He  has  been  carried 
on  the  rolls  of  the  United  States  army  nearly  sixty- 
seven  years.  That  is  one  of  the  rewards  for  having 
been  lucky  enough  to  espouse  the  winning  side  in  1861. 
But  self-interest  had  little  to  do  with  the  choice  of  sides ; 
conscience  pointed  the  way  in  that  hour  of  passion. 

The  reunion  at  Corpus  Christi  made  a  deep  impres 
sion  upon  the  fledglings  of  the  service.  The  long  en 
campment  there  formed  a  green  spot  in  the  memory 
of  the  little  army  that  bore  our  colors  in  triumph  to 
the  city  of  Mexico.  Those  who  have  left  memoirs  of 
their  military  careers  have  to  a  man  dwelt  largely  upon 
the  various  interesting,  though  generally  unimportant, 
incidents  of  this  delightful  episode.  March,  1846, 
brought  the  hour  of  their  ending ;  on  the  9th  the  bugles 
of  the  line  sounded  the  assembly,  and  in  obedience  to 
instructions  from  Washington  General  Taylor  put  his 
army  in  motion  by  easy  stages  for  the  line  of  the  Rio 
Grande  River.  That  movement  immediately  produced 
a  result  which  the  government  had  long  secretly  desired, 
— war.  Negotiations  for  the  amicable  possession  of 
Texas  and  the  territory  to  the  Pacific  had  failed. 

It  is  not  the  purpose  of  this  paper  to  write  the  history 
of  the  Mexican  War,  but  a  few  of  its  salient  features 
may  be  recounted  perhaps  with  profit. 

Under  the  Texas  treaty  of  annexation  and  the  act 
admitting  Texas  into  the  American  Union  the  United 
States  claimed  all  the  territory  down  to  the  Rio  Grande 
and  westward  to  the  border  of  New  Mexico.  Mexico, 
on  her  part,  denied  that  Texas  was  a  free  agent,  al 
though  President  Santa  Anna,  captured  by  the  Texans 
the  next  day  after  the  battle  of  San  Jacinto  in  1836, 
while  in  durance  had  consented  to  a  treaty  wrhich  ac 
knowledged  Texan  independence.  Texas  had  adopted 

147 


LONGSTREET   ON   THE   FIELDS   OF   MEXICO 

a  constitution  and  set  up  an  independent  government. 
Mexico  repudiated  Santa  Anna's  agreement,  but  never 
theless  had  subsequently  never  been  able  to  conquer  the 
lost  territory.  The  entrance  of  the  American  troops  into 
Texas  was  therefore  by  Mexico  considered  a  casus  belli, 
and  her  troops,  under  .General  Arista,  crossed  the  river 
and  began  aggressive  war  upon  the  United  States  de 
tachments  as  soon  as  they  reached  the  vicinity. 

The  Mexican  General  Torre j  on  captured  a  detach 
ment  of  United  States  dragoons  April  25,  including 
Captains  Thornton  and  Hardee  and  Lieutenant  Kane, 
besides  killing  Lieutenant  George  J.  Mason  and  six 
teen  men.  Mason  was  a  classmate  of  Longstreet. 
Thornton,  Hardee,  and  Kane  were  well  treated,  and 
soon  after  exchanged.  Small  bands  of  Mexicans  com 
mitted  other  depredations.  Shortly  after  the  unfor 
tunate  incident  above  recited,  Lieutenant  Theodoric 
Porter  and  a  small  party  were  fired  upon  from  an 
ambuscade  in  the  chaparral,  and  Porter  and  one  soldier 
killed.  Porter  had  been  one  of  the  theatrical  stars  at 
Corpus  Christi. 

The  march  to  Point  Isabel,  the  siege  of  Fort  Brown 
by  General  Ampudia,  and  the  stirring  affairs  at  Palo 
Alto  and  Resaca  soon  followed.  The  spirit  of  cama 
raderie  and  patriotic  zeal  which  animated  the  Army 
of  Occupation  was  vividly  illustrated  when  Captain 
Charles  May  was  ordered  by  Taylor,  at  Resaca  de  la 
Palma,  to  charge  a  Mexican  battery.  As  May  drew  up 
his  own  and  Graham's  squadrons  for  the  work,  Lieu 
tenant  Randolph  Ridgely,  of  Ringgold's  artillery, 
called  out,  "  Hold  on,  Charlie,  till  I  draw  their  fire," 
and  he  "  turned  loose"  with  his  six  guns  upon  the  enemy. 
The  return  fire  was  prompt,  but  Ridgely's  wise  purpose 
was  accomplished.  Then  the  invincible  heroism  with 
which  May  rushed  forward  at  the  head  of  a  handful 
of  the  Second  Dragoons  signalized  the  qualities  which 


148 


INTO  THE  INTERIOR  OF  MEXICO 

unerringly  foreshadowed  the  result  of  that  war.  The 
opposing  battery  was  secured  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye, 
and  the  Mexican  General  La  Vega  captured  amid  his 
guns.  May's  gallant  exploit  was  the  theme  of  the  army. 
May,  Ridgely,  and  Longstreet  were  close  friends,  of 
the  trio  Longstreet  being  youngest  in  years  and  service. 
Ridgely  was  killed  at  Monterey  that  fall.  May  lived 
until  1864,  having  resigned  in  1861.  He  took  no  part 
in  the  Civil  War.  The  first  successes  of  the  Mexican 
War  were  easy  and  decisive.  The  real  hardships  began 
with  the  march  over  the  sterile  wastes  towards  Monte 
rey.  Monterey  was  equally  as  decisive,  but  it  was 
found  to  be  a  much  harder  nut  to  crack,  and  here  the 
American  losses  were  very  heavy.  The  general  effect 
of  Taylor's  operations,  in  conjunction  with  Wolf's  cam 
paign  and  the  overland  march  of  General  Kearny  to 
California,  was  demoralizing  to  the  Mexicans. 


CHAPTER    V 

INTO   THE   INTERIOR   OF   MEXICO 

In  after-years  Lee's  admirers  claimed  that  much  of  Scott's  glory 
on  the  fields  of  Mexico  was  due  to  Lee's  military  ability.  Scott 
gave  him  great  praise. 

WHEN  it  was  learned  that  two  divisions  of  Taylor's 
army  had  been  ordered  to  the  coast,  there  was  much 
speculation  at  the  front  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  move 
ment.  The  younger  contingent  immediately  jumped 
to  the  conclusion  that  the  war  was  over,  and  that 
Twiggs's  and  Patterson's  troops  were  ordered  home. 
This  proved  not  to  be  the  case,  but  the  army  was  not 
much  disappointed  to  learn  that  another  campaign 
farther  south  was  projected.  There  was  some  friction 
between  Taylor  and  Scott  over  the  withdrawal  of  the 

149 


LiONGSTEEET   ON   THE   FlELDS   OF   MEXICO 

regulars.  Some  of  Scott's  letters  to  Taylor  miscarried, 
and  Scott,  pressed  for  time,  was  compelled  to  order  the 
troops  he  wanted  down  to  the  coast  without  Taylor's 
knowledge,  the  latter  at  times  being  far  in  the  interior. 
When  Taylor  learned  that  his  best  troops  had  been  or 
dered  away  without  an  hour's  previous  notice,  the  old 
general  was  naturally  very  much  incensed.  He  was 
afterwards  somewhat  mollified  when  he  received  Scott's 
delayed  correspondence,  and  saw  that  his  chief  had  en 
deavored  to  reach  him  in  the  proper  spirit.  Scott  was  the 
senior,  and  of  course  it  was  for  him  to  order;  besides, 
Scott  himself  had  orders  from  the  President  to  withdraw 
the  troops.  Taylor,  however,  made,  both  to  Scott  and  the 
Secretary  of  War,  a  sharp  protest  against  the  manner 
of  carrying  out  the  design.  Doubtless  Taylor  felt  sore 
upon  learning  that  the  administration  intended  leaving 
him  upon  the  defensive,  without  means  to  continue  his 
victorious  advance.  Buena  Vista,  a  few  weeks  later, 
probably  melted  the  old  fellow's  rancor  into  sardonic 
satisfaction. 

Once  started,  the  troops  rapidly  retrograded  to  the 
Rio  Grande.  The  weather  was  fairly  cool,  and  the 
marches  made  from  twenty  to  twenty-eight  miles  per 
day.  One  rather  warm  day,  while  the  troops  were  on 
this  move,  a  burnt  district  was  passed  over,  and  the  heat 
and  flying  smoke  and  ashes  choked  the  tired  men  and 
officers.  When  the  column  camped,  it  was  upon  a  beau 
tiful  mountain  stream,  into  which  all  rushed  for  a  bath. 
First  Lieutenant  Sydney  Smith,  of  the  Fourth,  one  of 
the  first  to  start  for  the  water,  while  passing  through 
the  timber  which  fringed  the  stream,  was  attacked  by 
peccaries,  a  species  of  wild  pig  common  in  Mexico.  They 
are  not  very  large,  but  travel  in  droves,  and  are  very 
fierce.  They  treed  Smith  upon  a  low-hanging  limb 
barely  out  of  reach  of  his  excited  pursuers.  The  limb 
was  very  slender  for  his  weight,  and  as  he  swung  to  the 

150 


INTO  THE  INTERIOB  OF  MEXICO 

ground,  the  maddened  peccaries  reared  upon  their  hind 
feet  and  snapped  savagely  at  Smith's  pendent  feet  and 
legs.  The  woods  were  now  full  of  the  officers  and  men 
going  to  the  stream,  and  a  party  soon  relieved  Smith 
from  his  precarious  perch.  Smith  was  a  brave  fellow. 
He  was  the  next  year  wounded  at  Molino  del  Rey,  and 
within  a  week  after  killed  at  the  attack  on  Belen  Gate. 

There  was  a  considerable  delay  at  the  mouth  of  the 
river,  awaiting  transports.  The  point  of  assemblage  of 
the  troops  from  New  Orleans,  Mobile,  and  Taylor's  army 
was  Lobos  Island,  some  three  hundred  miles  south  of  the 
Rio  Grande's  mouth.  The  march  began  January  9, 
1847,  but  it  was  not  until  about  February  12  that  the 
first  of  the  regulars  sailed  from  the  Rio  Grande  to 
Lobos  Island.  Scott  had  expected  the  concentration  at 
Lobos  to  have  been  completed  three  weeks  earlier.  The 
fault  was  in  the  transport  service. 

The  fleet  did  not  leave  Lobos  Island  until  March  2. 
A  week  later  a  landing  was  effected  near  Vera  Cruz, 
and  on  the  10th  the  first  guns  of  the  new  campaign 
were  heard, — shots  from  the  castle  of  San  Juan  de 
Ulloa  at  Worth's  troops  encamped  upon  the  sand-hills. 
The  investment  of  the  city  was  speedily  completed  and 
siege  operations  begun.  The  army  heard  of  Taylor's 
remarkable  victory  at  Buena  Vista  on  the  15th  of 
March.  It  took  away  their  breath  to  learn  that  Santa 
Anna  had  marched  a  great  army  against  Taylor  after 
they  had  left,  and  had  been  defeated.  It  explained  why 
there  had  been  so  little  opposition  to  the  landing  of  the 
American  forces.  Vera  Cruz  surrendered  on  the  29th. 

Then  the  march  into  the  interior  of  Mexico  began, 
led  by  Twiggs's  division.  The  first  objective  point  was 
Jalapa.  Scott's  design  was  to  get  upon  the  mountain 
plateau  before  the  yellow-fever  season  approached  on 
the  coast.  It  was  deadly  in  that  region.  The  pre 
cision  with  which  Scott's  plans  were  carried  forward, 

151 


LONGSTREET   ON   THE   FlELDS   OF   MEXICO 

and  their  uniform  success,  made  a  profound  impression 
upon  the  army.  His  reputation  was  very  high  before 
he  had  struck  the  first  blow,  but  after  Vera  Cruz  no 
one  of  that  army  doubted  that  he  would  soon  enter  the 
Mexican  capital.  The  army's  morale  was  high  from 
the  outset ;  it  was  small,  consequently  but  little  bothered 
with  the  impedimenta  which  make  the  movements  of  a 
large  army  so  slow  and  oftentimes  tortuous.  It 
marched  rapidly,  and  Scott  sent  it  square  at  the  mark 
every  time  occasion  offered. 

Nevertheless  there  was  great  delay  in  the  advance  to 
the  valley  of  Mexico.  Operations  were  very  energetic 
in  the  beginning.  The  battle  of  Cerro  Gordo  occurred 
on  the  18th  of  April,  where  a  complete  and  technically 
brilliant  victory  was  won.  It  was  here  Santa  Anna, 
already  returned  from  his  ill-fated  movement  against 
Taylor,  undertook  to  defend  the  passage  of  the  moun 
tains  against  Scott's  advance.  After  careful  recon- 
noissances,  the  American  general  turned  his  position, 
attacked  his  flank,  and  after  a  short  fight  broke  up  his 
army  in  utter  rout,  very  nearly  cutting  off  and  cap 
turing  the  whole.  As  it  was,  the  Americans  captured 
about  four  thousand  prisoners,  forty-three  cannon,  and 
three  thousand  five  hundred  small-arms.  All  this  was 
done  with  a  force  of  less  than  nine  thousand  Americans 
against  some  twelve  thousand  Mexicans  strongly  for 
tified. 

This  extraordinary  victory  opened  the  road  to  the 
valley.  Thus  within  twenty  days  Scott  had  effected  a 
landing,  captured  Vera  Cruz,  signally  defeated  the 
enemy  in  pitched  battle,  and  taken  the  road  into  the 
heart  of  Mexico.  Jalapa  was  entered  on  the  20th.  At 
Jalapa  seven  regiments  of  volunteers  were  discharged, 
and  the  American  force  was  too  greatly  reduced  to 
attack  the  capital.  The  enforcements  promised  did 
not  arrive.  The  advance,  however,  was  pushed  on  to 

152 


INTO  THE  INTERIOR  OF  MEXICO 

Puebla,  a  city  then  of  some  seventy  thousand  inhabi 
tants,  which  was  occupied  by  Worth  on  the  15th  of  May ; 
Lieutenant  Longstreet  was  with  the  division  occupying 
Puebla.  Here  there  was  a  long  wait  of  weeks  for  the 
required  forces  to  attack  the  capital,  now  less  than  three 
marches  away.  From  Jalapa  Scott  set  out  for  the 
front  on  May  23,  arriving  at  Puebla  on  the  28th.  Many 
of  the  higher  officers  rode  out  to  meet  and  give  the 
General  a  proper  reception,  and  he  entered  the  city  in 
considerable  state.  "  El  Generalissimo !  El  Generalis 
simo!"  was  shouted  by  the  citizens  as  the  general-in- 
chief  rode  through  the  streets  to  his  head-quarters.  The 
army  welcomed  him  with  enthusiasm. 

It  was  at  the  siege  of  Vera  Cruz  and  the  operations 
at  Cerro  Gordo  that  the  engineer  officers,  R.  E.  Lee, 
G.  B.  McClellan,  I.  I.  Stevens,  G.  T.  Beauregard,  and 
others,  began  to  attract  the  notice  of  the  line.  Taylor 
had  made  little  use  of  engineers  in  northern  Mexico. 
He  largely  depended  upon  his  own  practised  military 
eye  to  determine  positions,  either  for  the  offensive  or 
defensive.  Scott's  methods  were  entirely  different. 
He  depended  more  upon  reconnoissances  led  by  his 
staff  engineers,  and  their  reports  of  situations,  ap 
proaches,  etc.  He  saw  largely  through  the  eyes  of  these 
officers,  and  his  fine  strategy  was  based  on  their  infor 
mation.  Hence  under  Scott  the  engineer  officers  soon 
began  to  fill  a  large  space  in  the  eyes  of  the  army.  They 
became  familiar  figures. 

Longstreet's  personal  acquaintanceship  with  Lee 
began  in  this  campaign.  He  was  graduated  from  the 
Academy,  No.  2  of  the  class  of  1829,  nine  years  before 
Longstreet  entered  it.  Lee  was  already  a  captain  of 
engineers  when  Longstreet  entered  as  a  cadet  in  1838. 
He  was  past  forty  when  the  American  forces  landed  be 
fore  Vera  Cruz.  So  in  years  he  was  much  older,  as  in 
rank  and  prestige  he  was  away  above  the  line  subalterns 

153 


LONGSTREET   ON   THE   FlELDS   OF   MEXICO 

of  that  campaign,  many  of  whom  subsequently  served 
under  him  and  against  him  in  1861-65.  He  evinced 
great  admiration,  even  reverence,  for  Scott's  general 
ship.  In  after-years  his  admirers  claimed  that  much  of 
Scott's  glory  was  due  to  Lee's  military  ability.  Scott 
gave  him  great  praise.  But  while  Lee  was  much  re 
spected  in  the  army,  it  is  due  to  say  that  nobody  then 
ascribed  the  victories  of  American  arms  to  him.  Besides 
which,  Colonel  Joseph  G.  Totten  was  Scott's  chief -en 
gineer,  and  Lee  had  another  superior  present  in  the  per 
son  of  Major  J.  L.  Smith.  The  army  thought  General 
Scott  entitled  to  the  full  credit  of  leadership  in  the  cam 
paign  of  1847. 

About  August  14  sufficient  reinforcements  had  ar 
rived  to  warrant  another  forward  movement.  Scott  had 
now  about  ten  thousand  men,  with  more  coming  on  from 
the  coast.  His  army  was  composed  of  four  divisions, 
commanded  by  Generals  Twiggs,  Worth,  Pillow,  and 
Quitman,  the  two  latter  volunteer  major-generals.  The 
army  began  its  final  advance  on  the  8th  of  August, 
1847.  It  had  been  idle  nearly  three  months,  awaiting 
the  action  of  the  government.  It  was  General  Long- 
street's  opinion  that  with  five  thousand  more  men 
Scott  could  have  followed  Santa  Anna  straight  into 
Mexico  from  Cerro  Gordo.  Owing  to  dilatoriness  in 
raising  troops  at  home,  his  active  force  at  Puebla  was  at 
one  time  reduced  to  five  thousand  men.  The  three 
months'  halt  gave  the  demoralized  enemy  time  to  recover 
courage  and  recruit  their  numbers. 

The  American  advance  from  Puebla  to  the  valley  of 
Mexico  was  over  the  Rio  Frio  Mountain.  The  pass  is 
over  eleven  thousand  feet  above  the  ocean.  It  was 
easily  susceptible  of  successful  defence,  but  the  experi 
ence  of  the  Mexicans  at  Cerro  Gordo  probably  led  their 
generals  to  conclude  that  Scott's  strategy  was  irresisti 
ble  in  a  mountain  region.  At  any  rate  there  was  no  re- 

154 


INTO  THE  INTERIOR  OF  MEXICO 

sistance,  and  after  a  toilsome  climb  of  three  days  in  the 
mountains,  the  Americans  debouched  into  the  beautiful 
valley  without  firing  a  shot. 

This  valley  is  one  of  the  most  singular  of  natural  fea 
tures.  It  is  simply  a  basin  in  the  mountains  without  any 
visible  outlet.  In  seasons  of  heavy  rainfall  and  snow 
fall  on  the  stupendous  mountains  which  surround  it, 
the  small  lakes  in  this  basin  overflow,  and  sometimes  in 
undate  the  capital  itself.  It  is  only  in  recent  years  that 
a  channel,  or  tunnel,  has  been  cut  to  drain  off  the  super 
fluous  water  in  time  of  need.  At  some  time  in  the  past 
the  basin  was  probably  a  lake.  There  must  have  been 
some  unknown  subterranean  outlet  which  originally 
drained  it  down  and  afterwards  prevented  it  refilling. 
Before  the  artificial  drain  was  made,  however,  there 
were  indubitable  signs  that  the  lakes  were  much  smaller 
than  in  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century  when 
Cortes  conquered  the  Aztec  capital.  The  bed  of  this 
valley  is  seven  thousand  feet  above  the  sea  level.  There 
are  five  shallow  lakes  in  the  basin.  The  capital  is  located 
on  the  west  side  of  Lake  Tezcuco.  It  contained  about 
two  hundred  thousand  people  in  1847. 

The  army  entered  the  valley  from  the  east,  at  first 
aiming  to  pass  between  Lakes  Chalco  and  Tezcuco,  but 
the  fortified  hill  of  El  Penyon  and  other  obstructions 
made  that  approach  very  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  and 
after  the  engineers  had  examined  the  ground,  Scott 
concluded  to  pass  around  to  the  southward  of  Lake 
Chalco  and  Xochimilco.  The  movement  was  inaugu 
rated  on  the  15th  of  August,  four  days  after  entering 
the  valley.  On  the  17th,  the  border  of  Lake  Xochimilco 
was  skirted,  and  that  night  Worth  bivouacked  in  San 
Augustin,  the  Tlalpan  of  Cortes,  on  the  road  approach 
ing  the  capital  from  the  south  and  west  of  the  lakes.  It 
became  for  the  time  the  depot  and  base  of  the  army. 
These  preliminary  movements  consumed  a  week's  time. 

155 


LONGSTREET   ON   THE   FlELDS   OF   MEXICO 


CHAPTER    VI 

FROM   CONTRERAS   TO   CHAPULTEPEC 

While  rushing  up  the  heights  of  Chapultepec  with  the  regimental 
flag  in  his  hands,  Longstreet  was  severely  wounded  by  a  musket- 
ball  through  the  thigh.  After  Longstreet  fell,  George  E.  Pickett 
carried  the  old  Eighth's  flag  to  the  works  on  the  hill  and  to  the  top 
of  the  castle. 

ON  the  18th  the  brilliant  action  of  Contreras  was 
fought.  Here  Scott  outmanoeuvred  the  enemy  com 
pletely,  employing  again  the  Cerro  Gordo  tactics,  and 
striking  him  in  flank  and  rear.  The  routed  Mexicans 
fled  back  to  the  fortified  lines  about  Churubusco.  Many 
prisoners  were  captured  at  Contreras.  The  attack  was 
pressed  against  the  position  of  Churubusco  on  the  19th 
and  20th,  resulting  in  the  severest  battle  of  the  war,  ex 
cept  perhaps  Buena  Vista.  Longstreet's  regiment,  the 
Eighth  Infantry,  of  which  he  was  adjutant,  here  distin 
guished  itself,  aiding  in  the  capture  of  many  prisoners 
and  some  guns.  At  one  crucial  point  Longstreet  had 
the  proud  honor  to  carry  forward  the  regimental  colors 
mentioned  in  Worth's  despatches.  After  the  surrender 
some  of  the  prisoners  attempted  to  escape  by  a  rush,  and 
many  of  them  did  get  away.  Others  were  shot  down 
and  some  were  recaptured.  A  company  of  Americans 
who  had  deserted  the  year  before  from  Taylor's  army 
and  joined  the  Mexicans  were  here  captured  in  a  body. 
Their  resistance  had  caused  severe  loss  to  the  American 
army.  They  were  tried  for  desertion,  found  guilty  and 
a  score  or  so  of  them  shot  to  death. 

Scott  won  Churubusco  with  less  than  nine  thousand 
men.  The  routed  enemy  fled  into  the  city  and  to  the 

156 


FROM  CONTRERAS  TO  CHAPULTEPEC 

fortified  hill  of  Chapultepec,  and  were  followed  pell 
mell  by  the  American  cavalry.  It  was  in  this  charge 
that  Phil  Kearny  lost  his  arm.  He  was  afterwards 
killed  at  Chantilly,  in  Pope's  campaign  of  1862,  a 
Union  major-general.  The  Americans  could  certainly 
have  entered  the  city  that  day  on  the  heels  of  the  flying 
foe,  but  Scott  thought  it  wisest  to  hold  back  and  not  dis 
perse  the  Mexican  government,  to  give  the  American 
peace  commissioner,  Mr.  Trist,  an  opportunity  to  pro 
pose  terms.  An  armistice  followed,  but  the  Mexican 
government  declined  the  basis  of  peace  proposed. 

The  Americans  were  in  possession  of  the  whole  coun 
try  practically;  at  least  there  was  nothing  left  to  suc 
cessfully  oppose  their  occupation  of  its  territory  to  the 
farthest  limits.  Yet  after  these  victories,  they  proposed 
to  take  only  Texas,  New  Mexico,  and  California,  and  to 
pay  for  them  a  large  sum  of  money.  Texas  was  counted 
our  own  before  the  war  began.  The  terms  of  our  gov 
ernment  were  so  liberal  that  the  Mexicans  probably  sus 
pected  that  there  was  alarm  for  the  result  of  future 
operations.  Perhaps  they  judged  the  terms  would  be 
no  worse  after  another  trial  of  arms.  And  they  were 
not. 

Molino  del  Hey  and  Chapultepec  followed  on  Sep 
tember  8  and  13  respectively.  At  the  first  affair  the 
Americans  lost  seven  hundred  and  eighty-seven  men  in 
the  two  hours  of  severe  fighting,  but  won  a  complete 
victory,  as  usual.  The  fight  was  made  by  Worth's 
division,  and  Longstreet's  regiment  was  engaged,  of 
course.  Thus  far  he  had  got  through  without  a  scratch. 

Scott's  army,  at  the  outset  not  over-large  for  the  con 
tract  he  had  undertaken,  was  now  very  much  reduced, 
but  its  morale  was  still  fine.  It  was  a  critical  question  to 
determine  the  point  of  attack  on  the  city.  On  the  llth 
there  was  a  council  of  nearly  all  the  generals  and  en 
gineer  officers  at  Piedad.  Major  Smith,  Captain  Lee, 

157 


LONGSTREET   ON   THE   FlELDS   OF   MEXICO 

and  Lieutenants  Tower  and  Stevens,  of  the  engineers, 
reported  in  favor  of  attacking  the  San  Antonio  or 
southern  gate.  Generals  Quitman,  Shields,  Pierce,  and 
Cadwalader  concurred.  General  Scott,  on  the  contrary, 
favored  the  Chapultepec  route,  and  General  Twiggs 
supported  the  general-in-chief .  Alone  of  the  engineers, 
Lieutenant  Beauregard  favored  the  Chapultepec  route. 
After  hearing  Beauregard's  reasons,  General  Pierce 
changed  his  opinion.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  confer 
ence  General  Scott  said,  "  We  will  attack  Chapultepec 
and  then  the  western  gate." 

'  The  Hill  of  the  Grasshopper,"  Chapultepec,  is  an 
isolated  mound  rising  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hun 
dred  feet  above  the  valley.  Nearly  precipitous  in  some 
parts,  it  slopes  off  gradually  to  the  westward.  Heavy 
batteries  frowned  from  its  salient  positions,  sweeping 
the  approaches  from  all  directions.  To  the  southward 
the  ground  was  marshy.  The  position  was  regarded  by 
both  belligerents  as  the  key  to  the  capital. 

The  American  batteries  opened  fire  upon  Chapulte 
pec  on  the  12th,  causing  great  destruction  and  killing 
and  wounding  many  of  its  defenders.  The  Mexican 
leader,  Santa  Anna,  a  very  brave  fellow  with  only  one 
leg,  was  under  this  heavy  fire  for  a  time,  taking  observa 
tions  of  its  effect.  On  the  13th  this  fire  was  resumed, 
followed  by  an  assault  of  infantry.  The  volunteers  of 
Quitman  and  Pillow,  led  by  picked  storming  parties, 
made  the  assault  on  two  fronts.  The  hill  was  carried 
with  a  rush  after  Scott  gave  the  signal  of  attack.  Pillow 
calling  for  reinforcements,  Longstreet's  brigade  was 
ordered  forward  by  General  Worth,  and  he  went  into 
the  enemy's  works  on  the  hill  with  the  others. 

Longstreet  did  not  quite  reach  the  works,  for  while 
rushing  up  the  hill  with  the  regimental  flag  in  his  hands 
he  was  severely  wounded  by  a  musket-ball  through  the 
thigh.  The  castle,  all  the  enemy's  guns,  and  many  pris- 

158 


LONGSTREET'S  HONEYMOON 

oners  were  captured.  General  Scott  rode  to  the  summit 
soon  after  and  surveyed  the  work  of  his  gallant  army. 
It  was  well  done.  General  Worth  chased  the  fleeing 
enemy  to  the  city's  gates.  After  Longstreet  fell 
George  E.  Pickett  carried  the  flag  to  the  works  on  the 
hill,  and  to  the  top  of  the  castle.  The  old  Eighth's  flag 
was  hoisted  from  the  staff  which  but  a  month  before 
flaunted  the  Mexican  banner. 

This  was  the  last  action  in  the  valley.  There  was 
some  fighting  at  the  gates,  and  desultory  firing  from 
the  houses  as  the  American  troops  pushed  in,  but  the 
city  fell  without  much  loss  after  Chapultepec.  The 
Mexicans  evacuated  the  capital  that  night,  and  General 
Scott  entered  the  next  day.  The  Mexican  War  was 
practically  over.  In  a  few  months  a  treaty  was  made 
giving  the  United  States  about  what  was  demanded  by 
Mr.  Trist  after  Churubusco  in  August,  the  United 
States  salving  up  Mexico's  wounded  pride  with  fifteen 
million  dollars. 


CHAPTER    VII 

LONGSTREET'S  HONEYMOON 

After  reaching  home  from  Mexico,  Longstreet  soon  regained  his 
strength.  He  then  wrote  to  Colonel  John  Garland,  of  Virginia, 
his  old  brigade  commander,  asking  for  his  youngest  daughter. 
Colonel  Garland  promptly  replied,  "  Yes,  with  all  my  heart." 

WITH  several  wounded  comrades  Longstreet  was  as 
signed  quarters  with  the  Escandons,  a  kind-hearted,  re 
fined  Mexican  family.  They  could  not  conceal  their 
deep  chagrin  at  the  defeat  of  their  army,  and  were 
doubtless  mortified  by  the  enforced  presence  of  the 
wounded  Americans.  Nevertheless  they  insisted  that 
those  officers  confined  to  their  beds  should  be  supplied 

159 


LONGSTREET   ON   THE   FIELDS   OF   MEXICO 

from  their  own  table.  Delicacies  without  stint  were 
sent.  The  days  of  confinement  were  greatly  brightened 
by  their  delicate  attentions.  On  the  1st  of  December 
the  accomplished  surgeons,  Satterlee  and  DeLeon, 
thought  that  Longstreet  was  strong  enough  to  travel, 
and  announced  that  he  was  to  be  ordered  out  of  the 
country  on  sick-leave. 

With  others  he  left  Mexico  on  December  9.  A  few 
days  later  he  sailed  from  Vera  Cruz  with  a  large  num 
ber  of  sick  and  wounded,  among  whom  was  Brigadier- 
General  Pierce,  who  was  very  popular  in  the  army. 
After  reaching  home  Longstreet  soon  regained  his 
strength.  He  then  wrote  to  Colonel  John  Garland,  of 
Virginia,  his  late  brigade  commander,  asking  for  his 
youngest  daughter.  Colonel  Garland  promptly  re 
plied,  "  Yes,  with  all  my  heart."  He  had  won  fame  in 
Mexico  and  returned  home  on  leave  a  month  before 
Longstreet  was  well  enough  to  travel,  and  was  then 
with  his  family.  The  young  lady  and  her  soldier  sweet 
heart  already  had  a  pretty  good  understanding  on  the 
subject,  and  her  answer  was  equally  flattering.  On  the 
8th  of  March,  1848,  the  marriage  occurred  at  Lynch- 
burg.  After  a  brief  honeymoon  orders  were  received 
from  the  War  Department  detailing  Longstreet  for 
recruiting  service,  with  station  at  Poughkeepsie,  New 
York.  Before  autumn  of  that  year  nearly  all  the  troops 
in  Mexico  were  withdrawn,  and  the  Eighth,  Longstreet's 
old  regiment,  was  ordered  to  Jefferson  Barracks,  St. 
Louis,  where  he  had  been  stationed  before  the  war,  then 
a  brevet  second  lieutenant  in  the  Fourth. 

After  fifty  years  General  Longstreet  found  that 
many  of  the  physical  details  of  the  battle  terrain  in  the 
valley  of  Mexico  differed  quite  materially  from  the 
memory  conveyed  by  his  younger  eyes  in  the  heat  of 
action.  There  was  no  real  change  in  fixed  landmarks, 
but  the  depressions  were  not  so  deep,  nor  the  impreg- 

160 


LONGSTBEET'S  HONEYMOON 

nable  hills  the  Americans  attacked  so  high,  as  they  ap 
peared  when  the  Mexicans  were  defending  them  with 
sword,  musket,  and  cannon.  In  instants  of  supreme 
danger  it  is  very  difficult  for  the  soldier  or  subordinate 
officer  to  see  things  exactly  as  they  are  on  a  battle-field. 
His  eye  and  mind  are  inevitably  and  anxiously  concen 
trated  on  the  enemy  or  the  battery  that  is  dealing  death 
and  destruction  round  about. 


11  161 


GREAT    BATTLES    BEFORE 
AND  AFTER  GETTYSBURG* 


THE    FIRST    MANASSAS 

THE  armies  that  prepared  for  the  first  grand  conflict 
of  the  Civil  War  were  commanded  by  West  Point  grad 
uates,  both  of  the  Class  of  1838, — Beauregard  and 
McDowell.  The  latter  had  been  assigned  to  the  com 
mand  of  the  Federal  forces  at  Washington,  south  of 
the  Potomac,  in  the  latter  part  of  May,  1861.  The 
former  had  assumed  command  of  the  Confederates  at 
Manassas  Junction  about  the  1st  of  June.  To  him, 
Brigadier-General  Longstreet  reported  for  duty. 

McDowell  marched  on  the  afternoon  of  the  16th  of 
July  at  the  head  of  an  army  of  five  divisions  of  in 
fantry,  supplemented  by  nine  batteries  of  the  regular 
service,  one  of  volunteers,  besides  two  guns  operating 
separately,  and  seven  companies  of  regular  cavalry.  In 
his  infantry  columns  were  eight  companies  of  regulars 
and  a  battalion  of  marines, — an  aggregate  of  thirty-five 
thousand  men. 

Beauregard  stood  behind  Bull  Run  with  seven  bri 
gades,  including  Holmes,  who  joined  on  the  19th, 
twenty-nine  guns,  and  fourteen  hundred  cavalry, — an 
aggregate  of  twenty-one  thousand  nine  hundred  men, 
all  volunteers.  To  this  should  be  added,  for  the  battle 

*  This  brief  review  of  a  few  of  Longstreet's  famous  engagements  before  and 
after  Gettysburg  has  been  compiled  chiefly  from  his  war  history  and  his 
war  papers  published  a  few  years  since  by  the  Century  Company. 

163 


GREAT  BATTLES  BEFORE  AND  AFTER  GETTYSBURG 

of  the  21st,  reinforcements  aggregating  eight  thousand 
five  hundred  men,  under  General  Johnston,  making  the 
sum  of  the  aggregate  thirty  thousand  four  hundred 
men. 

The  line  behind  Bull  Run  was  the  best  between  Wash 
ington  and  the  Rapidan  for  strategy,  tactics,  and  army 
supplies. 

General  Longstreet  always  believed  that  by  vigorous 
and  concentrated  work  the  Confederates,  after  the  bat 
tle  of  the  first  Manassas,  might  have  followed  McDow 
ell's  fleeing  columns  into  Washington,  and  held  the  capi 
tal.  But  this  is  not  a  part  of  my  story. 

On  the  eve  of  the  battle  the  Confederates  had  occa 
sional  glimpses  behind  the  lines  about  Washington, 
through  parties  who  managed  to  evade  the  eyes  of 
guards  and  sentinels,  which  told  of  McDowell's  work 
since  May,  and  heard  on  the  10th  of  July  that  he  was 
ready  to  march.  Most  of  the  Confederates  knew  him 
and  of  his  attainments,  as  well  as  those  of  Beauregard, 
to  the  credit  of  the  latter,  and  on  that  point  they  were 
satisfied.  But  the  backing  of  an  organized  government, 
and  an  army  led  by  the  foremost  American  war-chief, — 
that  consummate  strategist,  tactician,  and  organizer, 
General  Scott, — together  with  the  splendid  equipment 
of  the  field  batteries  and  the  presence  of  the  force  of 
regulars  of  infantry,  gave  serious  apprehension. 

A  gentleman  who  was  a  boy  in  Washington  during 
the  Civil  War,  said  not  long  ago,  in  speaking  of  the 
first  Manassas,  that  he  would  never  forget  the  impres 
sion  made  upon  his  youthful  mind  by  McDowell's  army 
in  moving  towards  Manassas  Junction.  Their  arms 
glistened  in  the  sunshine;  the  new  uniforms  added  to 
the  splendid  bearing  of  the  ranks ;  the  horses  were  gar 
landed  with  flowers;  the  silken  folds  of  regimental 
flags,  lifted  caressingly  by  the  breezes  of  mid-summer, 
made  an  ocean  of  color  above  the  noble  columns.  It 

164 


THE  FIRST  MANASSAS 

was  an  inspiring  sight;  every  flag  in  the  capital  was  a 
beckoning  call  to  arms  in  the  nation's  defence.  Mc 
Dowell's  army  seemed  setting  out  for  some  festal  occa 
sion,  and  gayly  moved  to  the  sound  of  music  and  song. 
But  oh,  what  a  different  sight  after  Manassas,  when  his 
weary  and  routed  columns  straggled  back  to  Washing 
ton,  before  the  victorious  Confederates.  Their  gala  day 
had  been  of  short  duration. 

On  the  16th  of  July  the  Confederates  learned  that 
the  advance  of  McDowell's  army  was  under  definite 
orders  for  next  day.  Longstreet's  brigade  was  at  once 
ordered  into  position  at  Blackburn's  Ford,  and  all  others 
were  ordered  on  the  alert. 

At  eight  o'clock  A.M.  on  the  18th  McDowell's  army 
concentrated  about  Centerville,  his  immediate  objective 
being  Manassas  Junction.  His  orders  to  General  Tyler, 
commanding  the  advance  division,  were  to  look  well  to 
the  roads  on  the  direct  route  to  Manassas  Junction  and 
via  the  Stone  Bridge,  to  impress  an  advance  upon  the 
former,  but  to  have  care  not  to  bring  on  a  general  en 
gagement. 

Under  the  instructions,  as  General  Tyler  construed 
them,  he  followed  the  Confederates  to  the  heights  of 
Centerville,  overlooking  the  valley  of  Bull  Run,  with  a 
squadron  of  cavalry  and  two  companies  of  infantry. 
From  the  heights  to  the  Run,  a  mile  away,  the  field  was 
open,  and  partially  disclosed  the  Confederate  position 
on  his  right.  On  the  left  the  view  was  limited  by  a 
sparse  growth  of  spreading  pines. 

The  enemy  was  far  beyond  the  range  of  Confederate 
guns,  his  position  commanding  as  well  as  his  metal,  so 
Longstreet  ordered  the  guns  withdrawn  to  a  place  of 
safety,  till  a  fair  opportunity  was  offered  them.  The 
guns  were  limbered  and  off  before  a  shot  reached  them. 
Artillery  practice  of  thirty  minutes  was  followed  by 
an  advance  of  infantry.  The  march  was  quite  up  to 

165 


GREAT  BATTLES  BEFORE  AND  AFTER  GETTYSBURG 

the  bluff  overlooking  the  ford,  when  both  sides  opened 
fire. 

The  first  pouring-down  volleys  were  most  startling 
to  the  new  troops.  Part  of  Longstreet's  line  broke  and 
started  at  a  run.  To  stop  the  alarm  he  rode  with  sabre 
in  hand  for  the  leading  files,  determined  to  give  them 
all  that  was  in  the  sword  and  his  horse's  heels,  or  stop 
the  break.  They  seemed  to  see  as  much  danger  in  their 
rear  as  in  front,  and  soon  turned  and  marched  back 
to  their  places,  to  the  evident  surprise  of  the  enemy. 
Heavy  firing  was  renewed  in  ten  or  fifteen  minutes, 
when  the  Federals  retired.  After  about  twenty  minutes 
a  second  advance  was  made  to  the  top  of  the  bluff,  when 
another  rousing  fusilade  followed,  and  continued  about 
as  long  as  the  first,  with  like  result.  Longstreet  rein 
forced  the  front  line  with  part  of  his  reserve,  and, 
thinking  to  follow  up  his  next  success,  called  for  one 
of  the  regiments  of  the  reserve  brigade. 

The  combat  lasted  about  an  hour,  when  the  Federals 
withdrew  to  their  ground  about  Centerville,  to  the  de 
light  of  the  Confederates,  who  felt  themselves  chris 
tened  veterans;  their  artillery  being  particularly  proud 
of  the  combat  against  the  famed  batteries  of  the  United 
States  regulars. 

General  McDowell's  order  for  the  battle  on  the  21st 
of  July  was  issued  on  the  afternoon  of  the  20th. 

Beauregard's  order  for  battle,  approved  by  General 
Johnston,  was  issued  at  five  A.M.  on  the  21st. 

The  orders  for  marching  were  only  preliminary,  cou 
pled  with  the  condition  that  the  troops  were  to  be  held 
ready  to  move,  but  to  wait  for  special  order  for  action. 
The  brigade  at  Blackburn's  Ford  had  been  reinforced 
by  the  Fifth  North  Carolina  and  Twenty-fourth  Vir 
ginia  Regiments,  under  Lieutenant  Jones  and  Colonel 
Kemper.  Longstreet  crossed  the  Run  under  the  five 
o'clock  order,  adjusted  the  regiments  to  position  for 

166 


WlLLIAMSBURG 

favorable  action,  and  gave  instructions  for  their  move 
ments  on  the  opening  of  the  battle. 

This  first  clash  of  arms  tested  the  fighting  qualities 
of  the  Confederates ;  but  the  soil  was  Virginia,  and  for 
them  it  was  to  be  death  or  victory. 

The  close  of  the  battle  of  the  21st  found  the  Fed 
erals  beaten  and  fleeing  towards  the  shelter  of  their 
capital.  They  had  fought  stubbornly.  McDowell  made 
a  gallant  effort  to  recover  his  lost  power,  riding  with 
his  troops  and  urging  them  to  brave  effort.  Although 
his  renewed  efforts  were  heroic,  his  men  seemed  to  have 
given  confidence  over  to  despair  when  fight  was  aban 
doned  and  flight  ensued.  Over  the  contested  field  of 
the  first  battle  of  the  war,  Longstreet  had  borne  the 
victorious  banners  of  the  South. 


WlLLIAMSBURG 

"  General  Longstreet's  clear  head  and  brave  heart  left  no  apology 
for  interference  at  Williamsburg." — JOSEPH  E.  JOHNSTON. 

THIS  battle  was  fairly  fought  and  dearly  won  by  the 
Confederacy,  May  5,  1862.  General  Joseph  E.  John 
ston  was  chief  in  command  and  General  Longstreet  had 
the  active  direction  of  the  battle. 

In  his  official  report  upon  the  battle,  General  Johnston 
said, — 

"  The  action  gradually  increased  in  magnitude  until  about 
three  o'clock,  when  General  Longstreet,  commanding  the  rear, 
requested  that  a  part  of  Major-General  Hill's  troops  might  be 
sent  to  his  aid.  Upon  this  I  rode  upon  the  field,  but  found 
myself  compelled  to  be  a  spectator,  for  General  Longstreet's 
clear  head  and  brave  heart  left  no  apology  for  interference." 

The  battle  was  fought  by  Sickles's  Federal  Third 
Corps,  that  heroically  contested  every  inch  of  the 
ground. 

167 


GREAT  BATTLES  BEFORE  AND  AFTER  GETTYSBURG 

It  was  at  the  close  of  the  battle  that  General  Han 
cock  distinguished  himself  by  holding  his  position  in 
and  about  the  forts  with  five  regiments  and  two  bat 
teries  against  the  assault  of  the  Fifth  North  Carolina 
and  Twenty-fourth  Virginia  Regiments,  and  it  was  on 
this  field  that  he  won  the  title  of  "  The  Superb,"  given 
to  him  by  McClellan  in  his  report. 

The  object  of  the  battle  on  the  part  of  the  Confeder 
ates  was  to  gain  time  to  haul  their  trains  to  places  of 
safety.  The  effect  besides  was  to  call  two  of  the  Fed 
eral  divisions  from  their  flanking  move  to  support  the 
battle,  thereby  greatly  crippling  their  expedition. 

General  McClellan  was  at  Yorktown  during  most  of 
the  day  to  see  several  of  the  divisions  of  his  army  aboard 
the  transports  for  his  proposed  flanking  and  rear  move 
up  York  River.  Upon  receiving  advice  that  the  Wil- 
liamsburg  engagement  was  serious  and  unsatisfactory, 
he  hastened  to  the  battle  with  the  divisions  of  Sedgwick 
and  Richardson,  which  he  had  expected  to  send  up  the 
river. 

There  were  about  nine  thousand  Confederates  and 
twelve  thousand  Union  troops  engaged.  The  Confed 
erate  casualties  were  1565;  the  Federal  casualties,  2288. 
Johnston  had  anticipated  McClellan's  move  up  the  York 
River,  and  considered  it  very  important  to  cripple  or 
break  it  up.  Therein  he  used  the  divisions  of  Long- 
street,  Magruder,  D.  R.  Jones,  McLaws,  ,G.  W.  Smith, 
and  D.  H.  Hill. 

There  was  a  tremendous  downpour  of  rain  the  night 
before  the  battle,  flooding  thoroughfares,  by-ways, 
woodlands,  and  fields  so  that  many  of  the  Confederate 
trains  were  unable  next  day  to  move  out  of  the  bogs  that 
were  developed  during  the  night. 

General  Hooker's  division  of  the  Third  Corps,  on  the 
Federal  side,  came  to  the  open  on  the  Hampton  road, 
and  engaged  by  regiments, — the  First  Massachusetts 

168 


WlLLIAMSBURG 

on  the  left,  the  Second  New  Hampshire  on  the  right. 
After  the  advance  of  his  infantry  in  the  slashes,  Gen 
eral  Hooker,  with  the  Eleventh  Massachusetts  and 
Twenty-sixth  Pennsylvania,  cleared  the  way  for  com 
munication  with  the  troops  on  the  Yorktown  road  and 
ordered  Webber's  six-gun  battery  into  action.  As  it 
burst  from  the  woods  through  which  it  had  come,  the 
Confederate  infantry  and  every  gun  in  reach  opened 
upon  it  a  fire  so  destructive  that  it  was  unmanned  before 
it  came  into  practice.  New  Federal  troops  immediately 
came  to  the  rescue,  and  the  guns  reopened  fire.  Osborn's 
and  Bramhall's  batteries  joined  in,  and  the  two  poured 
an  unceasing  fire  into  the  Confederate  troops  about  the 
fort  and  redoubts.  The  Fifth  New  Jersey  Regiment 
was  added  to  the  battery  guard,  and  the  Sixth,  Seventh, 
and  Eighth  were  deployed  on  the  left  in  the  woodland. 
The  brigades  of  R.  H.  Anderson,  Wilcox,  Pryor,  A.  P. 
Hill,  and  Pickett  were  taking  care  of  the  Confederate 
side. 

General  Longstreet,  hearing  the  swelling  noise  of 
battle,  rode  to  the  front  and  ordered  Colston's  brigade 
and  the  batteries  of  Deering  and  Stribling  to  follow, 
as  well  as  Stuart's  horse  artillery  under  Pelham. 

It  soon  became  evident  that  the  fight  was  for  the  day. 
D.  H.  Hill  was  asked  to  return  with  the  balance  of  his 
division.  Hooker  was  bracing  the  fight  on  his  left. 
He  directed  Emory  to  reconnoitre  on  his  extreme  left. 
Grover  was  called  to  reinforce  the  fighting  in  the  edge 
of  the  woods.  Several  New  York  regiments  came  into 
the  action,  but  the  Confederates  nevertheless  continued 
to  gain  ground  until  they  got  short  of  ammunition. 
While  holding  their  line,  some  of  the  regiments  retired 
a  little  to  fill  their  cartridge-boxes  from  those  of  the 
fallen  enemy  and  their  fallen  comrades.  This  move  was 
misconstrued  into  an  order  to  withdraw,  and  the  Confed 
erate  line  fell  back,  but  the  mistake  was  soon  discovered 

169 


GREAT  BATTLES  BEFORE  AND  AFTER  GETTYSBURG 

and  the  lost  ground  regained.  The  Eleventh  Massa 
chusetts,  Twenty-sixth  Pennsylvania,  and  Second  New 
Hampshire  came  into  the  action.  On  the  Confederate 
side,  Colston's  brigade,  the  Florida  regiment,  and  the 
Mississippi  battalion  came  to  the  rescue,  and  General 
Anderson,  who  was  in  immediate  charge,  grouped  his 
forces,  made  a  concentrated  move  upon  the  Federal  bat 
teries,  cleared  them  of  the  gunners,  and  captured  four 
of  Webber's  guns  and  forty  horses.  General  Stuart 
rode  up  about  this  time,  decided  that  the  Federals  were 
in  retreat,  and  insisted  upon  a  charge  and  pursuit.  He 
was,  however,  convinced  that  Federal  reinforcements 
were  coming  up  and  that  the  break  was  only  of  their 
front  line.  About  three  o'clock  Kearny's  division  came 
to  the  Federal  aid. 

Before  the  reinforcements  arrived  for  Hooker's  re 
lief,  Anderson  had  established  his  advanced  line  of  skir 
mishers  so  as  to  cover  with  their  fire  Webber's  guns  that 
were  abandoned.  The  Federal  reinforcing  column 
drove  back  his  advance  lines;  then  he  reinforced  and 
recovered  his  ground.  Then  he  met  General  Peck,  the 
leader  of  the  last  reinforcing  brigade,  who  put  in  his 
last  regiment,  the  Ninety-eighth  Pennsylvania;  but  the 
night  was  approaching,  both  armies  were  exhausted,  and 
little  further  aggressive  work  was  done. 


FRAYSER'S   FARM 

STONEWALL  JACKSON  was  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley 
and  the  rest  of  the  Confederate  troops  were  east  and 
north  of  Richmond.  In  front  General  McClellan's 
army  was  encamped,  a  hundred  thousand  strong,  about 
the  Chickahominy  River  preparing  for  a  regular  siege  of 
the  Confederate  capital.  His  army  was  unassailable 

170 


FRAYSER'S  FARM 

from  the  front,  and  he  had  a  small  force  at  Mechanics- 
ville  and  a  much  larger  force  farther  back  at  Beaver 
Dam  Creek. 

A  Confederate  conference  was  called.  Longstreet 
suggested  that  Jackson  be  called  down  from  the  Valley 
to  the  rear  of  the  Federal  right,  in  order  to  turn  the 
position  behind  Beaver  Dam,  and  that  the  rest  of  the 
Confederate  forces  who  were  to  engage  in  the  attack 
cross  the  Chickahominy  and  get  ready  for  action.  Gen 
eral  Lee  then  sent  General  J.  E.  B.  Stuart  on  his  famous 
ride  around  McClellan.  He  made  a  favorable  report  of 
the  situation.  Upon  further  conference,  the  26th  was 
selected  as  the  day  for  moving  upon  the  Federal  posi 
tion  at  Beaver  Dam.  There  was  some  spirited  fighting 
between  the  two  armies,  but  the  advance  of  Jackson, 
which  had  been  some  time  delayed,  made  the  Federals 
abandon  their  position  at  Beaver  Dam.  They  were 
closely  followed,  and  were  again  encountered  at  Gaines 
Mill,  where  battle  followed. 

Longstreet  came  up  with  reserve  forces,  and  was  pre 
paring  to  support  Hill,  when  he  was  ordered  by  General 
Lee  to  make  a  demonstration  against  the  Federal  left. 
He  threw  in  three  brigades,  and  for  a  time  the  battle 
raged  with  great  fierceness.  General  Jackson  could  not 
reach  the  point  of  attack,  and  General  Lee  ordered 
Longstreet  to  throw  in  all  the  force  he  could.  The  posi 
tion  in  front  of  him  was  very  strong.  An  open  field 
led  to  a  difficult  ravine  beyond  Powhite  Creek.  From 
there  the  ground  made  a  steep  ascent,  and  was  cov 
ered  with  trees,  slashed  timber,  and  hastily  made  rifle- 
trenches.  General  Whiting  came  up  with  two  brigades 
of  Jackson's  men.  Longstreet's  column  of  attack  then 
was  the  brigades  of  R.  H.  Anderson  and  Pickett  and 
the  divisions  of  Law,  Hood,  and  Whiting.  They  at 
tacked  and  defeated  the  Federals  on  their  left  and  cap 
tured  many  thousand  stands  of  arms,  fifty-two  pieces 

171 


GREAT  BATTLES  BEFORE  AND  AFTER  GETTYSBURG 

of  artillery,  a  large  quantity  of  supplies,  and  many 
prisoners,  among  them  General  Reynolds,  who  after 
wards  fell  at  Gettysburg. 

On  the  29th  General  Lee  ascertained  that  McClellan 
was  marching  towards  the  James,  and  decided  to  inter 
cept  his  forces  in  the  neighborhood  of  Charles  City 
Cross-Roads.  Longstreet  was  to  march  to  a  point  be 
low  Frayser's  Farm  with  General  A.  P.  Hill.  Holmes 
was  to  take  up  position  below  on  the  New  Market  road ; 
Jackson  was  to  pursue  the  Federal  rear;  Huger  to  at 
tend  to  the  Federal  right  flank.  Thus  the  Federal  rear 
was  to  be  enveloped  and  a  part  of  McClellan's  army  de 
stroyed.  Longstreet  found  himself  in  due  time  in  front 
of  General  McCall  with  a  division  of  ten  thousand  Fed 
erals  near  Frayser's  Farm.  Finally  artillery  firing  was 
heard,  which  was  taken  for  the  expected  signal  for  the 
beginning  of  battle,  and  Longstreet's  batteries  replied 
as  the  signal  that  he  was  ready.  While  the  order  was 
going  around  to  the  batteries,  President  Davis  and  Gen 
eral  Lee,  with  their  staff  and  followers,  were  with  Long- 
street  in  a  little  open  field  near  the  firing  lines,  but  not 
in  sight  of  the  Federals. 

The  Federal  batteries  opened  up  spitefully.  They 
did  not  know  of  the  distinguished  Confederates  near  by, 
yet  a  battery  had  by  chance  their  exact  range  and  dis 
tance,  and  poured  a  terrific  fire  in  their  midst.  The 
second  or  third  shell  killed  two  or  three  horses  and 
wounded  several  men.  The  little  party  speedily  retired 
to  safer  quarters.  Longstreet  sent  Colonel  Micah  Jen 
kins  to  silence  the  Federal  battery  with  his  long-range 
rifles.  He  charged  the  battery,  and  that  brought  on 
a  general  fight  between  Longstreet's  division  and  the 
troops  in  front.  The  Federal  lines  were  broken  and  a 
number  of  batteries  taken.  At  points  during  the  day 
McCall  several  times  regained  his  lost  position.  He 
was  finally  pushed  back.  At  length  McCall's  division 

172 


MARCH  AGAINST  POPE  AND  THE  SECOND  MANASSAS 

was  driven  off  and  fresh  troops  came  to  the  Federal 
relief.  Ten  thousand  men  of  A.  P.  Hill's  division,  held 
in  reserve,  were  now  brought  into  action. 

About  dark  General  McCall,  while  looking  up  a  frag 
ment  of  his  division,  ran  into  Longstreet's  arms  and 
was  taken  prisoner.  General  Lee  was  there  at  the  time. 
Longstreet  had  served  with  McCall  in  the  old  Fourth 
Infantry,  and  offered  his  hand  as  McCall  dismounted. 
The  Federal  general  did  not  regard  this  as  an  occasion 
for  renewing  old  friendships,  and  he  was  promptly 
offered  an  escort  of  Longstreet's  staff  to  take  him  to 
Richmond. 


MARCH   AGAINST   POPE    AND   THE 
SECOND   MANASSAS 

EVEN  as  early  as  1862  the  Union  army  had  been  using 
balloons  to  examine  the  position  of  the  Confederates, 
and  even  that  early,  the  scanty  resources  of  the  Con 
federates  made  the  use  of  balloons  a  luxury  that  could 
not  be  afforded.  While  gazing  enviously  upon  the 
handsome  balloons  of  the  Federals  floating  serenely  at 
a  distance  that  their  guns  could  not  reach,  a  Confeder 
ate  genius  suggested  that  all  the  silk  dresses  in  the  Con 
federacy  be  got  together  and  made  into  balloons.  This 
was  done,  and  soon  a  great  patch-work  ship  of  many 
and  varied  hues  was  ready  for  use.  There  was  no  gas 
except  in  Richmond,  and  so  the  silk-dress  balloon  had 
to  be  inflated  there,  tied  to  an  engine,  and  carried  to 
where  it  was  to  be  sent  up.  One  day  it  was  on  a  steamer 
down  the  James  River,  when  the  tide  went  out  and  left 
the  vessel  and  balloon  on  a  sand-bar.  The  Federals 
gathered  it  in,  and  with  it  the  last  silk  dress  in  the  Con 
federacy.  General  Longstreet  used  to  say,  laughingly, 
that  this  was  the  meanest  trick  of  the  war. 

173 


GREAT  BATTLES  BEFORE  AND  AFTER  GETTYSBURG 

When  General  Pope  came  down  into  Virginia  as 
Federal  commander-in-chief,  with  the  double  purpose 
of  drawing  McClellan  away  from  Westover  and  check 
ing  the  advance  of  the  new  enemy  approaching  from 
Washington,  .General  Lee  sent  Stonewall  Jackson  to 
Gordonsville  and  ordered  General  Longstreet  to  re 
main  near  Richmond  to  engage  McClellan  if  he  should 
attempt  an  advance  on  that  city.  On  the  9th  of  August, 
1862,  Jackson  encountered  the  Federals  near  Cedar 
Mountain  and  repulsed  them  at  what  is  known  as  the 
battle  of  Cedar  Run.  About  five  o'clock  in  the  after 
noon  of  this  fight  the  Federals,  by  a  well-executed  move, 
were  pressing  the  Confederates  back,  when  the  oppor 
tune  approach  of  two  brigades  converted  seeming  de 
feat  into  victory.  The  Federals  were  more  numerous 
than  the  Confederates,  and  Jackson  deemed  it  unwise 
to  follow  in  pursuit,  so  the  Confederates  retired  behind 
the  Rapidan  to  await  the  arrival  of  General  Lee  with 
other  forces. 

General  Lee  then  began  preparations  for  a  vigorous 
campaign  against  General  Pope.  On  the  13th  of  Au 
gust  Longstreet's  corps  was  ordered  to  Gordonsville,, 
and  General  Lee  accompanied  it  there.  General  Jack 
son's  troops  were  near  by.  The  Rapidan  River  was  to 
the  north.  Farther  on  at  Culpeper  Court-House  was 
the  army  of  Pope,  and  the  Rappahannock  River  was 
beyond  them.  Clark's  Mountain,  rising  several  hundred 
feet  above  the  surrounding  hills,  was  a  little  in  advance 
of  Longstreet's  position.  The  Federal  situation  was 
observed  from  the  summit  of  this  mountain. 

The  flags  of  Pope's  army  were  in  full  view  above 
the  tops  of  the  trees  around  Culpeper  Court-House. 
General  Lee  was  very  anxious  to  give  battle  as  soon  as 
possible,  but  operations  were  in  some  way  delayed  until 
General  Pope  captured  a  despatch  from  Lee  to  Stewart 
containing  information  of  the  contemplated  advance. 

174 


MAKCH  AGAINST  POPE  AND  THE  SECOND  MANASSAS 

Pope  then  withdrew  to  a  stronger  position  behind 
the  Rappahannock  River.  Longstreet  approached 
the  Rappahannock  at  Kelly's  Ford,  and  Jackson  ap 
proached  higher  up  at  Beverly  Ford,  near  the  Orange 
and  Alexandria  bridge.  They  found  Pope  in  an  almost 
unassailable  position,  with  heavy  reinforcements  sum 
moned  to  his  aid. 

The  Confederate  idea  was  to  force  a  passage  and 
make  the  attack  before  reinforcements  could  reach 
Pope.  Some  sharp  marching  to  this  end  was  done  by 
Longstreet  and  Jackson.  On  the  23d  Longstreet  had 
a  spirited  artillery  combat  at  Beverly  Ford  with  a 
Federal  force.  The  Federals  had  the  superior  position, 
the  better  guns;  the  Confederates  had  more  guns,  and 
fought  with  accustomed  persistence.  Before  night  the 
Federals  withdrew.  Incidentally,  they  set  fire  to  a 
number  of  farm-houses  in  the  locality.  Henry  W. 
Grady,  afterwards  a  distinguished  Georgian,  who  was 
a  small  boy  during  the  war,  frequently  said  that  one  of 
the  worst  things  about  the  Union  forces  was  the  care 
lessness  with  which  they  handled  fire. 

Pope  was  meanwhile  on  the  alert,  and  Lee  found  it 
impracticable  to  attack  him  in  his  stronghold  behind  the 
Rappahannock.  Lee  then  decided  to  change  his  plan 
of  operations  by  sending  Jackson  off  on  a  long  march 
to  the  rear  of  the  Federal  army  while  keeping  Long- 
street  with  thirty  thousand  men  in  front  to  receive  any 
attack  that  might  be  made.  Jackson  crossed  the  Rappa 
hannock  at  Hinson's  Hill,  four  miles  above  Waterloo 
Bridge,  and  that  night  encamped  at  Salem.  The  next 
day  he  passed  through  Thoroughfare  Gap,  moved  on 
by  Gainesville,  and  when  the  sun  next  set  he  was  in  the 
rear  of  Pope's  army  and  between  it  and  Washington. 
The  sudden  appearance  of  his  army  gave  much  terror 
to  the  Federals  in  the  vicinity;  when  he  arrived  at  Bris- 
toe  Station  just  before  night  the  Federal  guard  at  that 

175 


GREAT  BATTLES  BEFORE  AND  AFTER  GETTYSBURG 

point  sought  safer  quarters,  and  two  trains  of  cars 
coming  from  towards  Warrenton  were  captured.  Jack 
son  sent  a  force  forward  seven  miles  and  captured  Ma- 
nassas  Junction.  He  left  a  force  at  Bristoe  Station  and 
proceeded  himself  to  the  Junction.  During  the  after 
noon  the  Federals  attacked  the  Confederates  at  Bristoe 
Station  in  such  force  as  to  make  it  appear  that  Pope  had 
discovered  the  situation  and  was  moving  upon  Jackson 
with  his  entire  army.  The  Confederates  then  hastened 
away  from  Bristoe  Station  and  the  Federals  halted 
there.  Jackson's  forces  then  moved  over  to  a  position 
north  of  the  turnpike  leading  from  Warrenton  to  Alex 
andria,  and  there  awaited  results. 

On  the  evening  of  the  28th  King's  division  attacked 
Jackson,  but  was  repulsed.  That  same  evening  Long- 
street  arrived  at  Thoroughfare  Gap.  During  the  time 
of  Jackson's  march  he  had  been  engaging  Pope's  army 
at  different  points  along  the  Rappahannock,  to  impress 
them  with  the  idea  that  he  was  attempting  to  force  a 
passage  in  front  and  with  the  hope  of  preventing  his 
discovery  of  Jackson's  movement.  Pope  was  not  de 
ceived,  however,  but  turned  his  army  to  meet  Jackson's 
daring  and  unexpected  move.  Longstreet  decided  to 
follow  at  once.  To  force  a  passage  of  the  river,  much 
swollen  by  recent  rains,  seemed  impossible,  and  so  he 
took  the  route  by  which  Jackson  had  gone.  Finding 
that  Thoroughfare  Gap  was  unoccupied,  he  went  into 
bivouac  on  the  west  side  of  the  mountain  and  sent  a 
brigade  under  Anderson  to  occupy  the  pass. 

As  the  Confederates  approached  from  one  side,  Rick- 
etts's  division  of  Federals  approached  from  the  other 
and  took  possession  of  the  east  side.  Thoroughfare 
Gap  is  a  rough  pass  in  the  Bull  Run  Mountains,  in  some 
places  not  more  than  a  hundred  yards  wide.  A  swift 
stream  rushes  through  it,  and  the  mountains  rise  on 
both  sides  several  hundred  feet  above.  On  the  north 

176 


MARCH  AGAINST  POPE  AND  THE  SECOND  MANASSAS 

the  face  of  the  Gap  is  almost  perpendicular;  the  south 
face  is  less  precipitous,  but  is  covered  with  tangled 
mountain  ivy  and  projecting  boulders;  the  position, 
occupied  by  a  small  force,  was  unassailable.  The  inter 
position  of  Ricketts's  division  at  this  mountain  pass 
showed  a  disposition  to  hold  Longstreet  back  while  over 
whelming  Jackson.  This  necessitated  prompt  and  vig 
orous  measures  by  Longstreet.  Three  miles  north  was 
Hopewell  Gap,  and  it  was  necessary  to  get  possession 
of  this  in  advance  of  the  Federals  to  provide  for  a  flank 
movement  \vhile  forcing  the  way  by  foot-paths  over  the 
mountain  heights  of  Thoroughfare  Gap.  During  the 
night  Longstreet  sent  Wilcox  with  three  brigades  to 
Hopewell  Gap,  while  he  sent  Hood  and  his  forces  by  a 
trail  over  the  mountain  at  Thoroughfare. 

To  the  great  delight  of  the  Confederates,  in  the 
morning  it  was  discovered  that  Ricketts  had  given  up 
the  east  side  of  the  Gap  and  was  going  towards  Manas- 
sas  Junction.  Longstreet's  corps  then  went  along  un 
impeded.  Hearing  the  artillery  combat  around  Gaines 
ville,  they  quickened  their  steps.  As  the  fire  became 
more  spirited  their  movements  became  more  rapid. 
Passing  through  Gainesville,  they  filed  to  the  left  down 
the  turnpike,  and  soon  came  in  sight  of  the  Federal 
troops  held  at  bay  by  Jackson.  They  were  on  the  left 
and  rear  of  the  Federals;  the  artillery  was  ordered  up 
for  action,  but  the  advance  was  discovered,  and  the 
Federals  withdrew  from  attack  and  retired  behind 
Groveton  on  defensive  ground.  The  battalion  of  Wash 
ington  Artillery  was  thrown  forward  to  a  favorable 
position  on  Jackson's  right,  and  Longstreet's  general 
line  was  deployed  so  as  to  extend  it  to  the  right  some 
distance  beyond  the  Manassas  Gap  Railroad. 

The  two  great  armies  were  now  face  to  face,  both  in 
good  positions,  each  anxious  to  find  a  point  for  an  en 
tering  wedge  into  the  stronghold  of  the  adversary. 

12  177 


GREAT  BATTLES  BEFORE  AND  AFTER  GETTYSBURG 

What  troubled  the  Confederates  was  the  unknown  num 
ber  of  Federals  at  Manassas  Junction.  Each  side 
watched  the  movements  of  the  other  until  the  day  was 
far  spent.  Orders  were  given  for  a  Confederate  ad 
vance  under  the  cover  of  night  until  the  main  position 
of  the  enemy  could  be  more  carefully  examined  by  the 
earliest  light  of  the  next  day.  It  so  happened  that  a 
similar  order  was  issued  at  the  same  time  by  the  Fed 
erals,  and  the  result  was  a  spirited  engagement,  which 
was  a  surprise  to  both  sides.  Longstreet's  corps  was, 
however,  successful,  so  far,  at  least,  as  to  capture  a  piece 
of  artillery  and  make  reconnoissance  before  midnight. 
The  next  day  Longstreet  did  not  deem  an  attack  wise, 
and  the  Confederate  forces  were  ordered  back  to  their 
original  positions.  Then  each  side  was  apprehensive 
that  the  other  was  going  to  get  away. 

Pope  telegraphed  to  Washington  that  Longstreet  was 
in  full  retreat  and  he  was  preparing  to  follow;  while 
Longstreet,  thinking  Pope  was  trying  to  escape,  was 
arranging  to  move  to  the  left  across  Bull  Run,  so  as  to 
get  over  on  the  Little  River  pike  and  between  Pope  and 
Washington.  Just  before  nine  o'clock  that  day  (the 
30th)  Pope's  artillery  began  to  play  a  little,  and  some 
of  his  infantry  was  seen  in  motion.  Longstreet  con 
strued  this  as  a  display  to  cover  his  movements  to  the 
rear.  Later  a  large  division  of  Pope's  army  began  an 
attack  on  the  left  along  the  whole  of  Jackson's  line. 
Pope  evidently  supposed  that  Longstreet  was  gone,  and 
intended  to  crush  Jackson  with  a  terrific  onslaught. 
Longstreet  was  meanwhile  looking  for  a  place  to  get 
in.  Riding  along  the  front  of  his  line,  he  could  plainly 
see  the  Federals  as  they  rushed  in  heavy  masses  against 
Jackson's  obstinate  ranks.  It  was  a  splendidly  organ 
ized  attack. 

Longstreet  received  a  request  from  Jackson  for  re 
inforcements,  and  about  the  same  time  an  order  from 

178 


MARCH  AGAINST  POPE  AND  THE  SECOND  MANASSAS 

General  Lee  to  the  same  effect.  Longstreet  quickly  or 
dered  out  three  batteries.  Lieutenant  Chapman's  Dixie 
Battery  of  four  guns  was  the  first  to  report,  and  was 
placed  in  position  to  rake  the  Federal  ranks.  In  a  mo 
ment  a  heavy  fire  of  shot  and  shell  was  poured  into  the 
thick  columns  of  the  Federals,  and  in  ten  minutes  their 
stubborn  masses  began  to  waver.  For  a  moment  there 
was  chaos;  then  there  was  order,  and  they  reformed  to 
renew  the  attack.  Meanwhile,  Longstreet's  other  eight 
pieces  had  begun  deadly  work.  The  Federal  ranks 
broke  again  and  again,  only  to  be  reformed  with  dogged 
determination. 

A  third  time  the  Longstreet  batteries  tore  the  Fed 
erals  to  pieces,  and  as  they  fell  back  under  this  terrible 
fire  Longstreet's  troops  leaped  forward  with  the  famous 
rebel  yell.  They  pressed  onward  until,  at  ten  o'clock 
at  night,  they  had  the  field.  Pope  was  across  Bull  Run 
and  the  victorious  Confederates  lay  down  to  sleep  on 
the  battle-ground,  while  around  them  thousands  of 
friend  and  foe  slept  the  last  sleep  together. 

The  next  morning  the  Federals  were  in  a  strong  posi 
tion  at  Centerville.  Longstreet  sent  a  brigade  across 
Bull  Run  under  General  Pryor  to  occupy  a  point  near 
Centerville.  General  Lee  ordered  Jackson  to  cross  Bull 
Run  near  Sudley  s  and  turn  the  position  of  the  Federals 
occupying  Centerville.  On  the  next  day  ( September  1 ) 
Longstreet  followed,  but  the  Federals  discovered  the 
move,  abandoned  Centerville,  and  started  towards 
Washington.  On  that  evening  a  part  of  the  Federal 
force  at  Ox  Hill  encountered  Jackson  and  gave  him  a 
sharp  fight.  Longstreet  went  to  Jackson's  rescue. 

With  the  coming  darkness  it  was  difficult  to  distin 
guish  between  the  scattered  ranks  of  the  opposing  armies. 
General  Philip  Kearny,  a  magnificent  Federal  officer, 
rode  hastily  up  looking  for  the  broken  lines  of  his  com 
mand.  At  first  he  did  not  know  that  he  was  in  the 

179 


GREAT  BATTLES  BEFORE  AND  AFTER  GETTYSBURG 

Confederate  line,  and  the  Confederates  did  not  notice 
that  he  was  a  Federal.  He  began  quietly  to  inquire 
about  some  command,  and  was  soon  recognized.  He 
was  called  upon  to  surrender,  but  instead  of  doing  so 
he  wheeled  his  horse,  pressed  spurs  to  his  sides,  lay  flat 
on  the  animal's  neck,  and  dashed  away  like  the  wind. 
A  dozen  shots  rang  out,  and  in  less  time  than  it  takes 
to  tell  the  story  the  heroic  Kearny  fell  dead.  He  had 
been  in  the  army  all  his  life ;  the  Confederate  generals 
who  had  formerly  been  in  the  Union  army  knew  him; 
Longstreet  loved  him  well;  General  A.  P.  Hill,  who 
was  standing  by,  said,  sorrowfully,  "  Poor  Kearny!  he 
deserved  a  better  death  than  this."  The  next  day  his 
body  was  sent  over  the  lines  with  a  flag  of  truce  and  a 
note  from  General  Lee  referring  tenderly  to  the  man 
ner  in  which  he  had  met  his  death.  The  Federal  forces 
which  had  been  fighting  the  Ox  Hill  battle  proved  to  be 
the  rear  guard  covering  the  retreat  of  the  Federals  into 
Washington. 


THE    INVASION    OF   MARYLAND    AND 
THE    BATTLE    OF   ANTIETAM 

GENERAL  LONGSTREET  always  thought  that  the  divi 
sion  of  the  Confederate  army  after  they  moved  into 
Maryland  proved  their  downfall.  This,  however,  is  not 
a  part  of  my  story. 

At  this  time  General  Pope  had  been  relieved  and 
General  McClellan  restored  to  the  command  of  the 
Union  army.  With  ninety  thousand  troops,  he  marched 
towards  Antietam  to  avenge  the  second  Manassas. 

General  D.  H.  Hill  was  at  South  Mountain  with  five 
thousand  men;  Longstreet's  First  Corps  was  at  Ha- 
'gerstown,  thirteen  miles  farther  on;  General  Lee  was 
with  him,  and  on  the  night  of  the  13th  of  September, 

180 


INVASION  OF  MARYLAND  AND  BATTLE  OF  ANTIETAM 

1862,  information  was  received  that  McClellan  was  at 
the  foot  of  South  Mountain  with  his  great  army.  It 
was  decided  to  withdraw  the  forces  of  Longstreet  and 
Hill  from  their  respective  positions  and  unite  at  Sharps- 
burg,  which  afforded  a  strong  defensive  position.  On 
the  afternoon  of  the  15th  of  September  the  commands 
of  Longstreet  and  Hill  crossed  the  Antietam  Creek  and 
took  position  in  front  of  Sharpsburg,  Longstreet  on  the 
right  and  Hill  on  the  left.  They  soon  found  their  weak 
point  was  on  the  left  at  the  famous  Dunkard  Church. 
Hood,  with  two  brigades,  was  put  to  guard  that  point. 
That  night,  after  the  fall  of  Harper's  Ferry,  General 
Lee  ordered  Stonewall  Jackson  to  come  to  Sharpsburg 
as  quickly  as  possible. 

On  the  forenoon  of  the  15th  the  blue  uniforms  of 
the  Federals  appeared  among  the  trees  that  crowned  the 
heights  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Antietam.  Their 
numbers  increased  in  proportions  distressing  to  their 
opponents,  who  were  shattered  by  repeated  battles,  tired 
by  long  marches,  and  fed  most  meagrely.  On  the  16th 
Jackson  arrived  and  took  position  on  Longstreet's  left. 
Before  night  the  Federals  attacked,  but  were  driven 
back.  Hood  was  ordered  to  replenish  his  ammunition 
during  the  night  and  resume  his  position  on  Longstreet's 
right  in  the  morning.  General  Jackson's  forces  were 
extended  to  the  left,  and  reached  well  back  towards  the 
Potomac,  where  most  of  the  Confederate  cavalry  was. 
General  Robert  Toombs  was  placed  as  guard  on  the 
bridge  at  Longstreet's  right. 

On  the  Federal  side  General  Hooker,  who  had  been 
driven  back  in  the  afternoon,  was  reinforced  by  the 
corps  of  Sumner  and  Mansfield;  Sykes's  division  was 
also  drawn  into  position  for  battle;  Burnside  was  over 
against  Longstreet's  right  threatening  the  passage  of 
the  Antietam.  On  the  morning  of  the  17th  the  Federals 
were  in  good  position  and  in  good  condition.  Back  of 

181 


GREAT  BATTLES  BEFORE  AND  AFTER  GETTYSBURG 

McClellan's  line  was  a  high  ridge,  upon  which  he  had 
a  signal-station  overlooking  every  point  of  the  field. 
D.  R.  Jones's  brigades  of  Longstreet's  command  de 
ployed  on  the  right  of  the  Sharpsburg  pike,  while 
Hood's  brigades  awaited  orders;  D.  H.  Hill  was  on 
the  left  towards  the  Hagerstown- Sharpsburg  pike; 
Jackson  extended  out  from  Hill's  left  towards  the  Po 
tomac. 

The  battle  opened  heavily  with  attacks  by  Hooker, 
Mansfield,  and  Sumner  against  Longstreet's  left  cen 
tre,  which  consisted  of  Jackson's  right  and  D.  H.  Hill's 
left.  So  persistent  were  the  attacks  that  Longstreet 
sent  Hood  to  support  the  Confederate  centre.  The 
Confederates  were  forced  back  somewhat;  McClellan's 
forces  continued  the  attacks;  the  line  swayed  forward 
and  back  like  a  rope  exposed  to  rushing  currents;  a 
weak  point  would  be  driven  back  and  then  the  Confed 
erate  fragments  would  be  collected  and  the  lost  ground 
recovered;  the  battle  ebbed  and  flowed  with  fearful 
slaughter  on  both  sides.  The  Federals  came  forward 
with  wonderful  courage,  and  the  Confederates  heroi 
cally  held  their  ground,  while  they  were  mown  down  like 
grass. 

How  Lee's  ragged  army  withstood  McClellan's 
troops  no  one  will  ever  be  able  to  tell.  Hood's  ammu 
nition  gave  out ;  he  retired  for  a  fresh  supply ;  the  Fed 
erals  continued  to  come  up  in  great  masses.  At  one 
point,  under  the  crest  of  a  hill  occupying  a  position  that 
from  four  to  six  brigades  should  have  held,  there  were 
only  the  stranded  troops  of  Cooke's  regiment  of  North 
Carolina  Infantry,  who  were  without  a  cartridge.  As 
Longstreet  rode  along  the  line  of  his  staff,  he  saw  two 
pieces  of  Washington  Artillery  (Miller's  battery),  but 
there  were  not  enough  men  to  handle  them.  The  gun 
ners  had  all  been  killed  or  wounded — and  this  was  the 
Confederate  centre.  Longstreet  held  the  horses  of  his 

182 


INVASION  OF  MARYLAND  AND  BATTLE  OF  ANTIETAM 

staff-officers,  put  them  to  man  the  guns,  and  calmly  sur 
veyed  the  situation.  He  saw  that  if  the  Federals  broke 
through  the  line  at  that  point  the  Confederate  army 
would  be  cut  in  two  and  probably  destroyed.  Cooke 
sent  him  word  that  his  ammunition  was  entirely  out. 
Longstreet  replied  that  he  must  hold  his  position  as  long 
as  he  had  a  man  left.  Cooke  responded  that  he  would 
show  his  colors  as  long  as  there  was  left  a  man  alive  to 
hold  them  up.  The  two  guns  were  rapidly  loaded  with 
canister  by  the  staff-officers,  and  they  rattled  leaden  hail 
into  the  Federals  as  they  came  up  over  the  crest  of  the 
hill.  That  little  battery,  with  superhuman  energy,  had 
to  hold  thousands  of  Federals  at  bay,  or  the  whole  battle 
would  be  lost. 

The  Confederates  sought  to  make  the  Federals  be 
lieve  that  many  batteries  were  before  them.  As  they 
came  up,  they  would  see  the  colors  of  Cooke's  North 
Carolina  regiment  waving  as  placidly  as  if  the  whole 
of  Lee's  army  were  back  of  them,  while  a  shower  of 
canister  came  from  the  two  lonely  guns.  General  Chil- 
ton,  General  Lee's  chief  of  staff,  made  his  way  to  Long- 
street  and  asked,  "  Where  are  the  troops  you  are  hold 
ing  your  line  with?"  Longstreet  pointed  to  his  two 
pieces  and  to  Cooke's  regiment,  and  replied,  "  There 
they  are;  but  that  regiment  hasn't  a  cartridge."  Chil- 
ton,  dumb  with  astonishment,  rode  back  to  tell  the  story 
to  General  Lee.  Then  an  enfilade  fire  from  General 
D.  H.  Hill's  line  ploughed  the  ground  across  the  Fed 
eral  front  and  kept  them  back;  meanwhile,  R.  H. 
Anderson  and  General  Hood  came  to  the  support  of 
this  fearfully  pushed  Confederate  centre.  In  a  little 
while  another  Federal  assault  was  made  against  D.  H. 
Hill  and  extending  far  to  the  Confederate  left,  where 
McLaws  and  Walker  were  supporting  Jackson.  In 
this  fearful  combat  the  lines  swung  back  and  forth, 
the  Federals  attacking  with  invincible  motion  and  the 

183 


GREAT  BATTLES  BEFORE  AND  AFTER  GETTYSBURG 

Confederates  holding  their  positions  with  irresistible 
force. 

Meanwhile,  General  Lee  was  over  towards  the  right, 
where  Burnside  was  making  the  attack.  General 
Toombs,  assigned  as  guard  at  that  point,  had  only  four 
hundred  weary  and  footsore  soldiers  to  meet  the  Fed 
eral  Ninth  Corps,  which  pressed  the  brave  little  band 
slowly  back.  The  delay  that  Toombs  caused,  however, 
saved  that  part  of  the  battle,  for  at  the  last  moment 
A.  P.  Hill  came  in  to  reinforce  him  and  D.  H.  Hill 
discovered  a  place  for  a  battery  and  lost  no  time  in  open 
ing  it.  Thus  the  Confederates  drove  the  Federals  back, 
and  when  night  settled  down  the  army  of  Lee  was  still 
in  possession  of  the  field.  But  it  was  a  victory  that  was 
not  a  victory,  for  thousands  of  Confederates  were  dead 
on  the  field  and  gallant  commands  had  been  torn  into 
fragments.  Nearly  one-fourth  of  the  troops  who  went 
into  the  battle  were  killed  or  wounded.  This  day  has 
been  well- called  the  bloodiest  day  of  the  Civil  War. 

General  Longstreet  was  fond  of  telling  how  during 
the  battle  he  and  General  Lee  were  riding  along  his 
line  and  D.  H.  Hill's  when  they  started  up  a  hill 
to  make  a  reconnoissance.  Lee  and  Longstreet  dis 
mounted,  but  Hill  remained  on  his  horse.  General 
Longstreet  said  to  Hill,  "  If  you  insist  on  riding  up 
there  and  drawing  the  fire,  give  us  time  to  get  out  of 
the  line  of  the  fire  when  they  open  up  anew."  While 
they  were  all  standing  there  viewing  with  their  glasses 
the  Federal  movements,  Longstreet  noticed  a  puff  of 
white  smoke  from  a  Federal  cannon.  He  called  to 
Hill,  "  That  shot  is  for  you."  The  gunner  was  a  mile 
away,  but  the  cannon-shot  took  off  the  front  legs  of 
Hill's  horse.  The  horse's  head  was  so  low  and  his  croup 
so  high  that  Hill  was  in  a  very  ludicrous  position.  With 
one  foot  in  the  stirrup  he  made  several  efforts  to  get 
the  other  leg  over  the  croup,  but  failed.  Lee  and  Long- 

184 


FKEDERICKSBURG 

street  yelled  at  him  to  dismount  from  the  other  end  of 
the  horse,  and  so  he  got  down.  He  had  a  third  horse 
shot  under  him  before  the  close  of  the  battle.  General 
Longstreet  said  that  that  shot  at  Hill  was  the  second 
best  shot  he  ever  saw.  The  best  was  at  Yorktown,  where 
a  Federal  officer  came  out  in  front  of  the  Confederate 
line,  sat  down  to  a  little  platting  table,  and  began  to 
make  a  map.  A  Confederate  officer  carefully  sighted 
a  cannon,  touched  it  off,  and  dropped  a  shell  into  the  lap 
of  the  man  at  the  little  table  a  mile  or  more  away. 

After  the  battle  closed,  parties  from  both  sides,  by 
mutual  consent,  went  in  search  of  fallen  comrades. 

After  riding  along  the  lines,  giving  instructions  for 
the  night  and  morning,  General  Longstreet  rode  for 
general  head-quarters  to  make  report,  but  was  delayed 
somewhat,  rinding  wounded  men  hidden  away  under 
stone  walls  and  in  fence-corners,  not  yet  looked  after, 
and  afterwards  in  assisting  a  family  whose  home  had 
been  fired  by  a  shell,  so  that  all  the  other  officers  had 
arrived,  made  their  reports,  and  were  lounging  about 
on  the  sod  when  General  Longstreet  rode  up.  General 
Lee  walked  up  as  he  dismounted,  threw  his  hands  upon 
his  shoulders,  and  hailed  him  with,  "  Here  is  my  old  war- 
horse  at  last!" 


FREDERICKSBURG 

WHEN  General  Lee  learned  that  General  McClellan 
had  been  succeeded  by  General  Burnside,  he  expressed 
regret  at  having  to  part  with  McClellan,  because,  he 
said,  "  We  always  understood  each  other  so  well.  I 
fear  they  may  continue  to  make  these  changes  till  they 
find  some  one  whom  I  don't  understand." 

The  Federal  army  was  encamped  around  Warrenton, 
Virginia,  and  was  divided  into  three  grand  divisions, 
under  Generals  Sumner,  Hooker,  and  Franklin.  Lee's 

185 


GREAT  BATTLES  BEFORE  AND  AFTER  GETTYSBURG 

army  was  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Rappahannock 
River,  divided  into  two  corps,  the  First  commanded  by 
General  Longstreet  and  the  Second  by  General  Thomas 
J.  (Stonewall)  Jackson.  At  that  time  the  Confeder 
ate  army  extended  from  Culpeper  Court-House,  where 
the  First  Corps  was  stationed,  across  the  Blue  Ridge, 
down  the  Valley  of  Virginia,  to  Winchester,  where  Jack 
son  was  encamped  with  the  Second  Corps.  Information 
was  received  about  the  19th  of  November  that  Sumner 
with  his  grand  division  of  more  than  thirty  thousand 
men  was  moving  towards  Fredericksburg.  Two  of 
General  Longstreet's  divisions  were  ordered  down  to 
meet  him.  After  a  forced  march  they  arrived  on  the 
hills  around  Fredericksburg  about  three  o'clock  on  the 
afternoon  of  the  21st  (November,  1862).  Sumner  had 
already  arrived,  and  was  encamped  on  Stafford  Heights 
overlooking  the  town  from  the  Federal  side. 

About  the  26th  it  became  evident  that  Fredericksburg 
would  be  the  scene  of  a  battle,  and  Longstreet  advised 
the  people  who  were  still  in  town  to  leave.  A  previous 
threat  from  the  Federal  forces  that  they  might  have  to 
shell  the  town  had  already  forced  many  to  leave.  Dis 
tressed  women,  little  children,  aged  and  helpless  men, 
many  of  them  destitute  and  with  nowhere  to  go,  trudged 
away  as  best  they  could.  Soon  the  remainder  of  Long- 
street's  corps  came  up  from  Culpeper  Court-House, 
and  it  was  then  known  that  all  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
was  in  motion  for  the  prospective  scene  of  battle,  when 
Jackson  was  drawn  down  from  the  Blue  Ridge.  In  a 
short  time  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  was  face  to 
face  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  On  the  Confeder 
ate  side  nearest  the  Rappahannock  was  Taylor's  Hill, 
and  South  of  it  Marye's  Hill ;  next,  Telegraph  Hill,  the 
highest  Confederate  elevation,  afterwards  known  as 
Lee's  Hill,  because  General  Lee  was  there  during  the 
battle.  Longstreet's  head-quarters  in  the  field  were 

186 


FREDERICKSBURG 

there.  Next  was  a  declination  through  which  Deep  Run 
Creek  passed  on  to  the  Rappahannock,  and  next  was 
Hamilton's  Crossing,  upon  which  Stonewall  Jackson 
massed  thirty  thousand  men.  Upon  these  hills  the  Con 
federates  prepared  to  receive  Burnside  whenever  he 
might  choose  to  cross  the  Rappahannock. 

The  Federals  occupied  the  noted  Stafford  Heights 
beyond  the  river,  and  here  they  carefully  matured  their 
plans  of  advance  and  attack.  General  Hunt,  chief  of 
artillery,  skilfully  posted  one  hundred  and  forty-seven 
guns  to  cover  the  bottoms  upon  which  the  infantry  was 
to  form  for  the  attack,  and  at  the  same  time  play  upon 
the  Confederate  batteries.  Franklin  and  Hooker  had 
joined  Sumner,  and  the  Federal  army  were  one  hundred 
and  sixteen  thousand  strong.  The  Federals  had  been 
seen  along  the  banks  of  the  river  investigating  the  best 
places  to  cross.  President  Lincoln  had  been  down  with 
General  Halleck,  who  had  suggested  that  a  crossing 
be  made  at  Hoop-Pole  Ferry,  about  twenty-eight  or 
thirty  miles  below  Fredericksburg.  The  Confederates 
discovered  this  movement,  and  it  was  then  abandoned. 
There  were  sixty-five  thousand  Confederates  well  lo 
cated  upon  the  various  hills  on  the  other  side  of  the 
river.  Anderson,  McLaws,  Ransom,  Hood,  A.  P.  and 
D.  H.  Hill,  Longstreet,  Stonewall  Jackson,  and  the 
great  Robert  E.  Lee  himself  were  all  there. 

On  the  morning  of  the  llth  of  December,  1862,  an 
hour  or  so  before  daybreak,  the  slumbering  Confeder 
ates  were  awakened  by  a  cannon  thundering  on  the 
heights  of  Marye's  Hill.  It  was  recognized  as  the  sig 
nal  of  the  Washington  Artillery,  and  it  told  that  the 
Federal  troops  were  preparing  to  cross  the  Rappahan 
nock  and  give  battle.  The  Federals  came  down  to  the 
river  and  began  to  build  their  bridges,  when  Barksdale 
and  his  heroic  Mississippians  opened  fire,  which  forced 
them  to  retire.  The  Federals  then  turned  their  whole 

187 


GREAT  BATTLES  BEFORE  AND  AFTER  GETTYSBURG 

artillery  force  on  Fredericksburg,  demolishing  the 
houses  with  a  cyclone  of  fire.  The  only  offence  of  the 
little  town  was  that  it  was  situated  where  the  battle 
raged.  The  little  band  of  Mississippians  kept  up  their 
work,  and  like  so  many  angry  hornets  stung  the  whole 
Army  of  the  Potomac  into  frenzy.  Longstreet  ordered 
Barksdale  to  withdraw,  and  the  Federals  then  con 
structed  their  pontoons  without  molestation,  and  the 
next  day  Sumner's  grand  division  passed  over  into  Fred 
ericksburg;  General  Franklin's  grand  division  passed 
over  on  pontoon  bridges  lower  down  and  massed  on  the 
level  bottoms  opposite  Hamilton's  Crossing,  in  front  of 
Stonewall  Jackson's  corps.  Opposite  Fredericksburg 
the  formation  along  the  river  bank  was  such  that  the 
Federals  were  concealed  in  their  approaches,  and  they 
thereby  succeeded  in  getting  over  and  concealing  the 
grand  division  of  Sumner  and  a  part  of  Hooker's  grand 
division  in  Fredericksburg,  and  so  disposing  of  Frank 
lin  in  the  open  plain  below  as  to  give  out  the  impression 
that  the  great  force  was  there  to  oppose  Jackson. 

Before  daylight  of  the  eventful  13th  Longstreet  rode 
to  the  right  of  his  line,  held  by  Hood's  division,  which 
was  in  hearing  of  the  Federals  who  were  marching  their 
troops  to  the  attack  on  Jackson.  Longstreet  ordered 
Hood,  in  case  Jackson's  line  should  be  broken,  to  wheel 
around  to  his  right  and  strike  in  on  the  attacking  bodies, 
while  he  ordered  Pickett  with  his  division  to  join  in  the 
flank  movement.  He  told  them  at  the  same  time  that  he 
himself  would  be  attacked  near  his  left  centre,  that  he 
would  be  personally  at  that  point,  and  that  his  position 
was  so  well  defended  that  he  would  not  need  their  troops. 
He  returned  to  Lee's  Hill  soon  after  sunrise. 

There  was  a  thick  fog  that  morning,  and  the  prepara 
tions  of  the  Federals  were  concealed  thereby.  The  Con 
federates  grimly  awaited  the  onslaught.  About  ten 
o'clock  the  sun  burst  through  the  fog  and  revealed  the 

188 


FREDERICKSBURG 

mighty  panorama  in  the  valley  below.  Franklin's  forty 
thousand  men,  reinforced  by  two  divisions  of  Hooker's 
grand  division,  were  in  front  of  Jackson's  thirty  thou 
sand.  The  flags  of  the  Federals  fluttered  gayly,  their 
polished  arms  shone  brightly,  and  the  beautiful  uni 
forms  of  the  buoyant  troops  gave  a  holiday  air  to  the 
scene.  A  splendid  array  it  was.  Awaiting  their  ap 
proach  was  Jackson's  ragged  infantry,  and  beyond  was 
Stuart's  battered  cavalry.  The  majority  of  the  Federal 
troops  were  in  Fredericksburg  almost  in  reach  of  the 
Confederate  guns.  There  was  some  lively  firing  be 
tween  a  part  of  Franklin's  command  and  a  part  of 
Stuart's  Horse  Artillery  under  Major  John  Pelham. 
Franklin  advanced  rapidly  towards  Jackson;  silently 
Jackson  awaited  his  approach  until  within  good  range, 
and  then  opened  with  a  terrific  fire,  which  threw  the 
Federals  into  some  confusion.  The  Federals  again 
massed  and  advanced,  and  pressed  through  a  gap  in 
Jackson's  line.  Then  they  came  upon  Gregg's  brigade, 
and  a  severe  encounter  ensued  in  which  Gregg  was  mor 
tally  wounded.  The  concentration  of  the  divisions  of 
Taliaferro  and  Early  against  this  attack  drove  the  Fed 
erals  back. 

On  the  Confederate  side  near  the  town  was  a  stone 
wall,  shoulder  high.  Behind  this  stone  wall  Longstreet 
had  placed  General  T.  R.  R.  Cobb's  brigade  and  a  por 
tion  of  the  brigade  of  General  Kershaw, — about  two 
thousand  five  hundred  men  in  all.  To  reach  Long- 
street's  weakest  point  the  Federals  had  to  pass  directly 
over  this  wall. 

Just  before  noon  Longstreet  sent  orders  to  all  his 
batteries  to  open  fire  as  a  diversion  in  favor  of  Jackson. 
This  fire  began  at  once  to  develop  work  for  Longstreet. 
The  Federal  troops  swarmed  out  of  Fredericksburg  and 
came  in  double-quick  towards  Cobb's  wall.  From  the 
moment  of  their  appearance  fearful  carnage  began. 

189 


GREAT  BATTLES  BEFORE  AND  AFTER  GETTYSBURG 

The  Confederate  artillery  from  the  front,  right,  and 
left  tore  through  their  ranks,  but  the  Federals  pressed 
forward  with  almost  invincible  determination.  Thus 
they  marched  upon  the  stone  fence  behind  which  Cobb's 
brigade  was  quietly  waiting.  When  the  Federals  came 
within  its  reach  they  were  swept  from  the  field  like  chaff 
before  the  wind.  A  vast  number  went  pell-mell  into 
an  old  railroad  cut  to  escape  fire  from  the  right  and 
front.  A  battery  on  Lee's  Hill  saw  this,  and  turned  its 
fire  into  the  entire  length  of  the  cut,  and  wrought  fright 
ful  destruction.  Though  thus  repulsed  and  scattered 
in  its  first  attempt  to  drive  the  Confederates  from 
Marye's  Hill,  the  determined  Federal  army  quickly 
formed  again  and  filed  out  of  Fredericksburg  to  an 
other  charge.  Again  they  were  forced  to  retire  before 
the  well-directed  guns  of  Cobb's  brigade  and  the  fire  of 
the  artillery  on  the  heights. 

Still  again  they  formed  and  advanced,  and  again  they 
were  driven  off.  By  this  time  they  had  difficulty  in 
walking  over  the  dead  bodies  of  their  comrades.  So 
persistent  were  they  in  their  continuing  advances  that 
General  Lee,  who  at  the  time  was  with  Longstreet  on 
Lee's  Hill,  became  uneasy  and  said  that  he  feared  the 
Federals  would  break  through  his  line.  To  this  Long- 
street  replied,  "  General,  if  you  put  every  man  now  on 
the  other  side  of  the  Potomac  on  that  field  to  approach 
me  over  the  same  line,  and  give  me  plenty  of  ammuni 
tion,  I  will  kill  them  all  before  they  reach  my  line.  Look 
to  your  right ;  you  are  in  some  danger  there,  but  not  on 
my  line."  As  a  precaution,  General  Kershaw  was  or 
dered  with  the  remainder  of  his  brigade  down  to  the 
stone  wall  to  carry  ammunition  to  Cobb  and  to  reinforce 
him  if  necessary.  Kershaw  arrived  just  in  time  to  suc 
ceed  Cobb,  who  was  falling  from  a  Federal  bullet,  to 
die  in  a  few  minutes  from  loss  of  blood.  A  fifth  time 
the  Federals  formed,  charged,  and  were  repulsed,  and 

190 


CHICKAMAUGA 

likewise  a  sixth  time,  when  they  were  again  driven  back, 
and  night  came  to  end  the  dreadful  carnage.  The  Fed 
erals  then  withdrew,  leaving  the  field  literally  piled  up 
with  the  bodies  of  their  dead.  The  Confederate  mus 
ketry  alone  killed  and  wrounded  at  least  five  thousand, 
while  the  artillery  brought  the  number  of  those  killed 
and  wounded  at  the  foot  of  Marye's  Hill  to  over  seven 
thousand. 

During  the  night  a  Federal  strayed  beyond  his  line, 
was  taken  up  by  Longstreet's  troops,  and  on  his  per 
son  was  found  a  memorandum  of  General  Burnside's 
arrangements  and  an  order  for  the  renewal  of  the  battle 
next  day.  Upon  receiving  this  information  General 
Lee  gave  immediate  orders  for  a  line  of  rifle-pits  on  the 
top  of  Marye's  Hill  for  General  Ransom,  who  had  been 
held  somewhat  in  reserve,  and  for  other  guns  to  be 
placed  on  Taylor's  Hill.  The  Confederates  were  up 
before  daylight  on  the  morrow,  anxious  to  receive  Gen 
eral  Burnside  again.  The  Federal  troops,  however,  had 
left  the  field.  It  was  at  first  thought  that  the  memoran 
dum  was  intended  as  a  ruse  of  war,  but  it  was  after 
wards  learned  that  General  Burnside  expected  to  re 
sume  attack,  but  gave  it  up  when  he  became  fully  aware 
of  the  fate  of  his  soldiers  at  the  foot  of  Marye's  Hill. 


CHICKAMAUGA 

THIS  battle  marked  the  only  great  Confederate  vic 
tory  wron  in  the  West,  and  was  one  of  the  bloodiest 
battles  of  the  war.  Indeed,  the  contest  for  the  bloodiest 
day  in  this  great  war  is,  I  believe,  between  Antietam  and 
Chickamauga.  Official  reports  show  that  on  both  sides 
the  casualties  embrace  the  enormous  proportion  of 
thirty-three  per  cent,  of  the  troops  actually  engaged. 

191 


GREAT  BATTLES  BEFORE  AND  AFTER  GETTYSBURG 

On  the  Union  side  there  were  over  a  score  of  regiments 
in  which  the  losses  in  this  single  fight  exceeded  49.4 
per  cent.  The  "  Charge  of  the  Light  Brigade  at  Balak- 
lava,"  immortalized  by  Tennyson,  did  not  suffer  by  ten 
per  cent,  as  much  as  did  thirty  of  the  Union  regiments 
at  Chickamauga;  and  a  number  of  Confederate  regi 
ments  suffered  even  more  than  their  Federal  opponents. 

Longstreet's  command  in  less  than  two  hours  lost 
nearly  forty-four  per  cent,  of  its  strength.  Of  the 
troops  that  received  their  splendid  assaults,  Steedman's 
and  Brannan's  commands  lost  respectively  forty-nine 
and  thirty-eight  per  cent,  in  less  than  four  hours.  The 
loss  of  single  regiments  showed  a  much  heavier  per 
centage.  For  instance,  the  Tenth  Tennessee  Regiment 
lost  sixty-eight  per  cent. ;  the  Fifth  Georgia,  61.1 ;  the 
Second  Tennessee,  60.2;  the  Sixteenth  Alabama,  58.6; 
a  great  number  of  them  more  than  fifty  per  cent. 

The  total  Confederate  losses  were  about  18,000  men; 
the  total  Federal  losses,  about  17,000.  Viewed  from  the 
stand-point  of  both  sides,  Chickamauga  was  the  fifth 
greatest  battle  of  the  war,  being  exceeded  only  by  Get 
tysburg,  Spottsylvania,  the  Wilderness,  and  Chancel- 
lorsville.  But  each  of  these  battles  were  of  a  much 
longer  time.  The  total  Confederates  engaged  in  the 
battle  were  59,242 ;  the  total  Federals,  60,867.  The  bat 
tle  was  fought  on  the  20th  of  September,  1863. 

The  movements  of  both  sides  were  too  complex  to  be 
followed  here.  During  a  very  hot  part  of  the  battle, 
General  Hood,  on  the  Confederate  side,  was  fearfully 
wounded;  General  Benning,  of  his  "Rock  Brigade," 
lost  his  own  horse,  and  thought  that  General  Hood  was 
killed  and  that  everything  was  gone  to  smash.  He  cut 
a  horse  loose  from  a  captured  gun,  grabbed  a  rope  trace 
as  a  riding  whip,  mounted,  and  rode  to  meet  General 
Longstreet  and  report.  He  had  lost  his  hat  in  the  melee, 
and  everything  was  in  terrible  shape.  He  reported, — 

192 


CHICKAMAUGA 

"  General  Hood  killed,  my  horse  killed,  my  brigade  torn  to 
pieces,  and  I  haven't  a  single  man  left." 

General  Longstreet  smiled,  and  quietly  asked  him  if 
he  did  not  think  he  could  find  one  man.  Quieted  by  the 
tone  of  the  question,  he  began  to  look  for  his  men,  found 
quite  a  number  of  them,  and  quickly  joined  the  fighting 
forces  at  the  front,  where  he  discovered  that  the  Con 
federates  had  carried  the  first  line,  that  Johnson's  divi 
sion  was  in  the  breach  and  pushing  on,  with  Hindman 
spreading  battle  to  the  enemy's  limits,  Stuart's  division 
holding  bravely  on,  and  the  brigades  of  Kershaw  and 
Humphreys  coming  along  to  help  restore  the  battle  to 
good  organization. 

About  one  o'clock  in  the  day  lunch  was  ordered  spread 
for  a  number  of  the  officers.  General  Longstreet  mean 
while  rode  with  General  Buckner  and  the  staffs  to  view 
the  changed  conditions  of  the  battle.  He  could  see  but 
little  of  the  enemy's  line,  and  only  knew  it  by  the  occa 
sional  exchange  of  fire  between  the  skirmishers.  Sud 
denly  the  party  discovered  that  they  had  passed  the 
Confederate  line  and  were  within  the  fire  of  the  Federal 
sharp-shooters,  who  were  concealed  behind  the  trees  and 
under  the  brush.  They  came  back  in  more  than  double- 
quick.  General  Longstreet  ordered  General  Buckner 
to  establish  a  twelve-gun  battery  on  the  right  and  enfi 
lade  the  Federal  works.  Then  he  rode  away  to  enjoy  a 
sumptuous  spread  of  Nassau  bacon  and  Georgia  sweet 
potatoes.  They  were  not  accustomed  to  potatoes  of  any 
kind  in  Virginia,  and  the  Georgia  variety  was  a  peculiar 
luxury.  While  the  lunch  was  in  its  first  stages  a  frag 
ment  of  shell  came  tearing  through  the  woods,  passed 
through  a  book  in  the  hands  of  a  courier  who  sat  his 
horse  hard  by  reading,  and  struck  down  the  chief  of 
ordnance,  Colonel  T.  P.  Manning.  Friends  sprang  for 
ward  to  look  for  the  wound  and  give  relief.  Manning 

13  193 


GREAT  BATTLES  BEFORE  AND  AFTER  GETTYSBURG 

had  just  taken  an  unusually  large  bite  of  sweet  potato, 
and  was  about  suffocating  thereby.  He  was  supposed 
to  be  gasping  for  his  last  breath  when  General  Long- 
street  suggested  that  he  be  relieved  of  the  potato  and 
given  a  chance  to  breathe.  This  done,  he  soon  revived, 
and  was  ready  to  be  taken  to  the  hospital,  and  in  a  few 
days  he  was  again  ready  for  either  a  Federal  shell  or  a 
Georgia  potato. 

The  vicissitudes  of  the  battle  were  many  and  varied, 
but  finally  the  Federal  forces  quit  the  field  and  the  dif 
ferent  wings  of  the  Confederate  army  came  together 
and  greeted  each  other  with  loud  huzzas.  The  Army  of 
the  Tennessee  was  ready  to  celebrate  its  first  grand  vic 
tory,  in  spite  of  the  great  losses  sustained.  The  twilight 
dews  hung  heavy  over  the  trees,  as  if  to  hush  the  voice 
of  victory  in  the  presence  of  death,  but  nevertheless,  the 
two  lines,  which  neared  as  they  advanced,  united  their 
shouts  in  increasing  volume,  not  as  the  cannon's  violent 
noise,  but  as  one  great  burst  of  harmony  that  seemed 
almost  to  lift  from  their  rooted  depths  the  great  forest 
trees.  Before  greetings  and  congratulations  upon  the 
success  had  passed  it  was  night,  and  the  mild  beams  of 
the  quartering  moon  were  more  suggestive  of  Venus 
than  of  Mars,  as  Longstreet  rested  in  the  white  light 
of  the  one  great  triumph  of  Confederate  arms  in  the 
West. 


IN    EAST    TENNESSEE 

ABOUT  the  1st  of  November,  1863,  it  was  determined 
at  Confederate  head-quarters  that  Longstreet  should 
be  ordered  into  East  Tennessee  against  General  Burn- 
side's  army. 

On  the  22d  of  October  General  Grant  joined  the 
army,  and  it  was  known  that  General  Sherman  was 
marching  to  join  him. 

194 


IN  EAST  TENNESSEE 

On  the  20th  of  October  General  Burnside  reported 
by  letter  to  General  Grant  an  army  of  twenty-two  thou 
sand  three  hundred  men,  with  ninety-odd  guns,  but  his 
returns  for  November  gave  a  force  of  twenty-five  thou 
sand  two  hundred  and  ninety,  and  over  one  hundred 
guns.  Eight  thousand  of  his  men  were  on  service  north 
of  Knoxville  and  about  Cumberland  Gap. 

To  march,  capture,  and  disperse  this  formidable  force, 
fortified  at  points,  Longstreet  had  about  fifteen  thou 
sand  men,  after  deducting  camp  guards  and  foraging 
parties.  Marching  and  fighting  had  been  his  almost 
daily  occupation  from  the  middle  of  January,  1863, 
when  he  left  Fredericksburg  to  move  down  to  Suffolk, 
Virginia,  until  the  16th  of  December,  when  he  found 
bleak  winter  again  breaking  upon  him,  away  from 
friends,  and  dependent  upon  his  own  efforts  for  food 
and  clothing  for  his  ragged  and  hungry  Confederates. 

It  is  not  in  the  purview  of  this  paper  to  more  than 
briefly  refer  to  Longstreet's  work  in  East  Tennessee  in 
the  bitter  winter  of  1863-64.  He  has  said  that  Wash 
ington's  men  at  Valley  Forge  did  not  suffer  more  than 
his  command  on  the  hard  campaigns  of  that  severe  win 
ter.  Much  of  the  time  half -clad  and  shoeless,  the  snow- 
covered  ground  bore  the  bloody  imprint  of  their  naked 
feet.  They  were  compelled  to  dig  holes  in  the  frozen 
ground,  which  were  thawed  out  by  fires  to  furnish  their 
usual  couch.  They  had  nothing  to  eat  but  parched  corn. 
But  the  brave  fellows  never  lost  heart.  They  undertook 
to  make  a  joke  of  their  dire  straits.  As  General  Long- 
street  rode  out  among  them,  they  would  call  cheerily  to 
know  if  they  might  not  have  a  little  fodder  to  eat  with 
their  corn. 

It  is  now  generally  conceded  that  no  more  valorous 
service  was  rendered  the  Confederate  cause  during  the 
four  years'  fighting  than  Longstreet's  work  in  East 
Tennessee,  cut  off  from  supplies,  improperly  supported 


195 


GREAT  BATTLES  BEFORE  AND  AFTER  GETTYSBURG 

by  his  government,  and  sent  with  an  inadequate  force 
to  attack  Burnside  in  his  stronghold. 

Mrs.  Grant,  a  few  years  before  her  death,  in  discuss 
ing  the  events  of  those  campaigns,  said  to  me  that  Gen 
eral  Grant  had  come  to  Nashville  to  spend  Christmas 
with  her.  She  had  scarcely  given  him  greeting  when  a 
hurried  message  came  from  Knoxville, — "  Longstreet 
is  coming!"  He  was  much  perturbed  at  having  to 
forego  his  Christmas  with  his  family  and  return  imme 
diately  to  his  works  about  Knoxville.  In  parting  she 
said  to  him,  "  Now,  Ulysses,  you  know  that  you  are  not 
going  to  hurt  Longstreet."  Grant  quickly  replied,  "  I 
will  if  I  can  get  him;  he  is  in  bad  company." 

To  "  get"  Longstreet  or  to  drive  him  out  of  Tennes 
see  came  to  be  the  chief  concern  of  Grant  and  his  gov 
ernment.  General  Halleck  was  much  concerned  about 
the  Confederate  army  in  East  Tennessee,  the  only  stra 
tegic  field  then  held  by  Southern  troops.  It  was  incon 
veniently  near  Kentucky  and  the  Ohio  River.  President 
Lincoln  and  his  War  Secretary  added  their  anxiety  to 
Halleck's  on  account  of  its  politico-strategic  bearing. 
General  Halleck  urged  his  views  upon  General  Grant, 
and  despatched  General  Foster  that  it  was  of  first  im 
portance  to  "  drive  Longstreet  out  of  Tennessee  and 
keep  him  out."  General  Grant  ordered:  "  Drive  Long- 
street  to  the  farthest  point  east  that  you  can."  It  was 
easier  to  issue  that  order  than  to  execute  it.  And  Grant 
reported  to  the  authorities: 

:'  If  Longstreet  is  not  driven  out  of  the  valley  en 
tirely,  and  the  road  destroyed  east  of  Abingdon,  I  do 
not  think  it  unlikely  that  the  last  great  battle  of  the 
war  will  be  fought  in  East  Tennessee.  Reports  of  de 
serters  and  citizens  show  the  army  of  Bragg  to  be  too 
much  demoralized  and  reduced  by  desertions  to  do  any 
thing  this  winter.  I  will  get  everything  in  order  here 
in  a  few  days  and  go  to  Nashville  and  Louisville,  and, 

196 


IN  EAST  TENNESSEE 

if  there  is  still  a  chance  of  doing  anything  against  Long- 
street,  to  the  scene  of  operations  there.  I  am  deeply 
interested  in  moving  the  enemy  beyond  Saltville  this 
winter,  so  as  to  be  able  to  select  my  own  campaign  in 
the  spring,  instead  of  having  the  enemy  dictate  it  to 
me." 

About  the  middle  of  December  orders  were  given  the 
Confederate  army,  which  wras  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
Holston  River,  to  cross  and  march  for  the  railroad, 
only  a  few  miles  away. 

The  transfer  of  the  army  to  the  east  bank  of  the  river 
was  executed  by  diligent  work  and  the  use  of  such  flat- 
boats  and  other  means  of  crossing  as  could  be  collected 
and  constructed.  They  were  over  by  the  20th,  and  be 
fore  Christmas  were  in  camps  along  the  railroad  near 
Morristown.  Blankets  and  clothes  were  scarce,  shoes 
more  so.  But  to  the  hungry  Confederates  the  beautiful 
country  in  which  they  found  themselves  seemed  a  land 
of  milk  and  honey.  The  French  Broad  River  and  the 
Holston  are  confluent  at  Knoxville.  The  country  be 
tween  and  beyond  them  contains  as  fine  farming-lands 
and  has  as  delightful  climate  as  can  be  found.  Stock 
and  grain  were  on  all  farms.  Wheat  and  oats  had  been 
thoughtfully  hidden  away  by  the  Federals,  but  the  fields 
were  full  of  maize,  still  standing.  The  country  around 
the  French  Broad  had  hardly  been  touched  by  the  for 
agers.  The  Confederate  wagons  immediately  on  enter 
ing  the  fields  were  loaded  to  overflowing.  Pumpkins 
were  on  the  ground  in  places  like  apples  under  a  tree. 
Cattle,  sheep,  and  swine,  poultry,  vegetables,  maple 
sugar,  and  honey  were  all  abundant  for  immediate  wants 
of  the  troops. 

When  the  Federals  found  that  the  Confederates  had 
moved  to  the  east  bank,  their  cavalry  followed  to  that 
side.  They  were  almost  as  much  in  want  of  the  beauti 
ful  foraging  lands  as  the  Confederates,  but  there  was 

197 


GREAT  BATTLES  BEFORE  AND  AFTER  GETTYSBURG 

little  left  for  them.  With  the  plenitude  of  provisions 
for  the  time,  and  many  things  which  seemed  luxuries, 
the  Confederates  were  not  altogether  happy.  Tattered 
garments,  blankets,  and  shoes  (the  latter  going,  many 
gone)  opened  ways,  on  all  sides,  for  piercing  winter 
blasts.  There  were  some  hand-looms  in  the  country, 
from  which  there  was  occasionally  picked  up  a  piece  of 
cloth,  and  here  and  there  other  comforts  were  received, 
some  from  kind  and  some  from  unwilling  hands,  which 
nevertheless  could  spare  them.  For  shoes  the  men  were 
compelled  to  resort  to  the  raw  hides  of  beef  cattle  as 
temporary  protection  from  the  frozen  ground.  Then 
soldiers  were  discovered  who  could  tan  the  hides  of 
beeves,  some  who  could  make  shoes,  some  who  could 
make  shoe-pegs,  some  who  could  make  shoe-lasts ;  so  it 
came  about,  through  the  varied  industries  of  Long- 
street's  men,  that  the  hides  passed  rapidly  from  the 
beeves  to  the  feet  of  the  soldiers.  Thus  the  soldier's  life 
was  made,  for  a  time,  passably  pleasant  in  the  infantry 
and  artillery.  Meanwhile,  the  Confederate  cavalry 
were  looking  at  the  Federals,  and  the  Federals  were 
looking  at  them,  both  frequently  burning  powder  be 
tween  their  lines. 

General  Sturgis  had  been  assigned  to  the  cavalry  of 
the  other  side,  to  relieve  General  Shackelford,  and  he 
seemed  to  think  that  the  dead  of  winter  was  the  time 
for  cavalry  work;  and  the  Confederate  General  Mar 
tin's  orders  were  to  have  the  enemy  under  his  eye  at  all 
hours.  Both  were  vigilant,  active,  and  persevering. 

About  December  20  a  raid  was  made  by  General 
Averill  from  West  Virginia  upon  a  supply  depot  of 
General  Sam  Jones's  department,  at  Salem,  which  was 
partially  successful,  when  General  Grant,  under  the  im 
pression  that  the  stores  were  for  East  Tennessee,  wired 
.General  Foster,  "  This  will  give  you  great  advantage." 
[And  General  Foster  despatched  General  Parke,  com- 

198 


IN  EAST  TENNESSEE 

manding  his  troops  in  the  field,  December  26,  "  Long- 
street  will  feel  a  little  timid  now,  and  will  bear  a  little 
pushing." 

General  Grant  made  a  visit  to  Knoxville  about  New 
Year's,  and  remained  until  the  7th.  He  found  General 
Foster  in  the  condition  of  the  Confederates, — not  prop 
erly  supplied  with  clothing,  especially  in  want  of  shoes. 
So  he  authorized  a  wait  for  clothing,  then  in  transit  and 
looked  for  in  a  week;  and  that  little  delay  was  a  great 
lift  for  the  Confederates. 

Before  leaving  General  Foster,  General  Grant  or 
dered  him,  on  receipt  of  clothing,  to  advance  and 
"  drive  Longstreet  at  least  beyond  Bull's  Gap  and  Red 
Bridge."  And  to  prepare  for  that  advance,  he  ordered 
the  Ninth  and  Twenty-third  Corps  to  Mossy  Creek,  the 
Fourth  Corps  to  Strawberry  Plains,  and  the  cavalry  to 
Dandridge. 

The  Union  army — equipped — marched  on  the  14th 
and  15th  of  January.  The  bitter  freeze  of  two  weeks 
had  made  the  rough  angles  of  mud  as  firm  and  sharp 
as  so  many  freshly  quarried  rocks,  and  the  bare  feet  of 
the  Confederates  on  this  march  left  bloody  marks  along 
the  roads. 

General  Sturgis  rode  in  advance  of  the  army,  and 
occupied  Dandridge  by  Elliott's,  Wolford's,  and  Gar- 
rard's  divisions  of  cavalry  and  Mott's  brigade  of  infan 
try.  The  Fourth  and  Twenty-ninth  Corps  followed  the 
cavalry,  leaving  the  Ninth  Corps  to  guard  at  Straw 
berry  Plains. 

General  Martin  gave  prompt  notice  that  the  march 
was  at  Dandridge  and  in  full  force.  Dandridge  is  on 
the  right  bank  of  the  French  Broad  River,  about  thirty 
miles  from  Knoxville.  Its  topographical  features  are 
bold  and  inviting  of  military  work.  Its  other  striking 
characteristic  was  the  interesting  character  of  its  citi 
zens.  The  Confederates — a  unit  in  heart  and  spirit — 

199 


GREAT  BATTLES  BEFORE  AND  AFTER  GETTYSBURG 

were  prepared  to  do  their  share  towards  making  an  ef 
fective  battle,  and  the  plans  were  so  laid. 

At  the  time  ordered  for  his  advance  General  Foster 
was  suffering  from  an  old  wound,  and  General  Parke 
became  commander  of  the  troops  in  the  field.  The  lat 
ter  delayed  at  Strawberry  Plains  in  arranging  that  part 
of  his  command,  and  General  Sheridan,  marching  with 
the  advance,  became  commander,  until  superseded  by 
the  corps  commander,  General  Gordon  Granger. 

The  Confederate  plans  were  laid  before  the  army  was 
all  up.  Their  skirmish  line  was  made  stronger,  and  re 
lieved  the  cavalry  of  their  dismounted  service.  A  nar 
row,  unused  road,  practicable  for  artillery,  was  found 
that  opened  a  way  for  the  Confederates  to  reach  the 
enemy's  rearward  line  of  march.  Sharp-shooters  were 
organized  and  ordered  forward  by  it,  to  be  followed  by 
our  infantry  columns.  It  was  thought  better  to  move 
the  infantry  alone,  as  the  ringing  of  the  iron  axles  of 
the  guns  might  give  notice  of  the  Confederate  purpose ; 
the  artillery  to  be  called  as  the  Confederate  sharp 
shooters  approached  the  junction  of  the  roads.  The 
head  of  the  turning  force  encountered  a  picket-guard, 
some  of  whom  escaped  without  firing.  General  Gran 
ger  decided  to  retire,  and  was  in  time  to  leave  the  cross 
roads  behind  him,  his  rear-guard  passing  the  point  of 
intersection  before  the  Confederate  advance  party 
reached  it  about  midnight. 

The  weather  moderated  before  night,  and  after  dark 
a  mild,  gentle  rain  began  to  fall. 

When  Longstreet  rode  into  Dandridge  in  the  gray 
of  the  morning  the  ground  was  thawing  and  hardly  firm 
enough  to  bear  the  weight  of  his  horse.  When  the 
cavalry  came  at  sunrise  the  last  crust  of  ice  had  melted, 
letting  the  animals  down  to  their  fetlocks  in  heavy  lime 
stone  soil.  The  mud  and  wrant  of  a  bridge  to  cross  the 
Holston  made  pursuit  by  the  heavy  Confederate  col- 

200 


IN  EAST  TENNESSEE 

umns  useless.  The  cavalry  was  ordered  on,  and  the 
troops  at  Morristown,  on  the  Strawberry  Plains  road, 
were  ordered  to  try  that  route,  but  the  latter  proved  to 
be  too  heavy  for  progress  with  artillery. 

While  General  Longstreet  rode  through  the  streets 
of  Dandridge,  giving  directions  for  such  pursuit  of  the 
fleeing  Federals  as  could  be  made,  a  lady  came  out  upon 
the  sidewalk  and  invited  him  into  her  parlors.  When 
the  orders  for  pursuit  were  completed,  he  dismounted, 
and  with  some  members  of  his  staff  walked  in.  After 
the  compliments  of  the  season  were  passed,  the  Con 
federates  were  asked  to  be  seated,  and  the  lady  told, 
with  evident  great  enjoyment,  of  General  Granger 
during  the  night  before.  She  had  never  heard  a  person 
swear  about  another  as  General  Granger  did  about  Gen 
eral  Longstreet.  Some  of  the  officers  proposed  to  stop 
and  make  a  battle,  but  General  Granger  swore,  and 
said,  "  It's  no  use  to  stop  and  fight  Longstreet.  You 
can't  whip  him.  It  don't  make  any  difference  whether 
he  has  one  man  or  a  hundred  thousand."  Presently  she 
brought  out  a  flask  that  General  Granger  had  for 
gotten,  and  presented  it  to  General  Longstreet.  It  had 
about  two  horizontal  fingers  left  in  it.  Though  not  left 
with  compliments,  it  was  accepted.  Although  the 
weather  had  moderated,  it  was  very  wet  and  nasty,  and 
as  General  Longstreet  had  taken  his  coffee  at  three 
o'clock,  it  was  resolved  to  call  it  noon  and  divide  the 
spoils.  Colonel  Fairfax,  who  knew  how  to  enjoy  good 
things,  thought  the  occasion  called  for  a  sentiment,  and 
offered,  "  General  Granger — may  his  shadow  never 
grow  less." 

The  cavalry  found  the  road  and  its  side-ways  so  cut 
up  that  the  pursuit  was  reduced  to  a  labored  walk.  The 
previous  hard  service  and  exposure  had  so  reduced  the 
animals  that  they  were  not  in  trim  for  real  effective  cav 
alry  service.  They  found  some  crippled  battery  forges 

201 


GREAT  BATTLES  BEFORE  AND  AFTER  GETTYSBURG 

and  a  little  of  other  plunder,  but  the  enemy  passed  the 
Holston  and  broke  his  bridges  behind  him,  and  Long- 
street's  men  returned  to  their  huts  and  winter  homes. 

To  seek  some  of  the  fruits  of  his  advantage  at 
Dandridge,  the  roads  being  a  little  firmer,  General 
Longstreet  ordered  his  leading  division,  under  General 
Jenkins,  on  the  21st,  to  proceed  to  march  towards 
Strawberry  Plains,  and  the  Richmond  authorities  were 
asked  to  send  a  pontoon  bridge,  tools  of  construction, 
and  to  hurry  forward  such  shoes  as  they  could  send. 

On  the  24th,  as  the  official  records  show,  General 
Grant  sent  word  to  General  Halleck  of  Longstreet's 
return  towards  Knoxville ;  that  he  had  ordered  General 
Foster  to  give  battle,  if  necessary,  and  that  he  would 
send  General  Thomas  with  additional  troops  to  insure 
that  Longstreet  would  be  driven  from  the  State.  He 
also  directed  General  Thomas  to  go  in  person  and  take 
command,  and  said,  "  I  want  Longstreet  routed  and 
pursued  beyond  the  limits  of  Tennessee."  And  he  or 
dered  General  Foster  to  put  his  cavalry  on  a  raid  from 
Cumberland  Gap  to  cut  in  upon  Longstreet's  rear. 

On  the  6th  of  February  General  Grant  reported  from 
Nashville, — 

"  MAJOR-GENERAL  H.  W.  HALLECK, 

"  General-in-Chief : 

"  I  am  making  every  effort  to  get  supplies  from  Knoxville  for 
the  support  of  a  large  force — large  enough  to  drive  Longstreet 
out. 

"U.  S.  GRANT, 
"  Major-General  Commanding" 

"  MAJOR-GENERAL  THOMAS  : 

"  Reports  of  scouts  make  it  evident  that  Joe  Johnston  has 
removed  most  of  his  force  from  our  front,  two  divisions  going 
to  Longstreet.  Longstreet  has  been  reinforced  by  troops  from 

the  east.    This  makes  it  evident  the  enemy  intends  to  secure  East 

202 


IN  EAST  TENNESSEE 

Tennessee  if  they  can,  and  I  intend  to  drive  them  out  or  get 
whipped  this  month.  For  this  purpose  you  will  have  to  detach 
at  least  ten  thousand  men  besides  Stanley's  division  (more  will  be 
better).  I  can  partly  relieve  the  vacuum  at  Chattanooga  by 
troops  from  Logan's  command.  It  will  not  be  necessary  to  take 
artillery  or  wagons  to  Knoxville,  but  all  the  serviceable  artillery 
horses  should  be  taken  to  use  on  artillery  there.  Six  mules  to 
each  two  hundred  men  should  be  taken,  if  you  have  them  to  spare. 
Let  me  know  how  soon  you  can  start. 

"  GRANT, 
"  Major-General." 

On  the  9th  Major-General  J.  M.  Schofield  arrived 
at  Knoxville,  and  assumed  command  of  the  Army  of 
the  Ohio. 

General  Grant  reported  on  the  llth, — 

"  MAJOR-GENERAL  H.  W.  HALLECK, 

"  General-in-Chief : 

"  I  expect  to  get  off  from  Chattanooga  by  Monday  next  a 
force  to  drive  Longstreet  out  of  East  Tennessee.  It  has  been 
impossible  heretofore  to  subsist  the  troops  necessary  for  this 
work. 

"U.  S.  GRANT, 
"  Major-General" 

"  MAJOR-GENERAL  J.  M.  SCHOFIELD, 

"  Knoxville,  Tennessee : 

"  I  deem  it  of  the  utmost  importance  to  drive  Longstreet  out 
immediately,  so  as  to  furlough  the  balance  of  our  veterans,  and 
to  prepare  for  a  spring  campaign  of  our  own  choosing,  instead 
of  permitting  the  enemy  to  dictate  it  for  us.  Thomas  is  ordered 
to  start  ten  thousand  men,  besides  the  remainder  of  Granger's 
corps,  at  once.  He  will  take  no  artillery,  but  will  take  his  artil 
lery  horses,  and  three  mules  to  one  hundred  men.  He  will 
probably  start  next  Monday. 

"U.  S.  GRANT, 

"  Major-General." 
203 


GREAT  BATTLES  BEFORE  AND  AFTER  GETTYSBURG 

How  General  Grant  abandoned  the  move  against 
Longstreet,  while  Longstreet  kept  Schofield  bottled  up 
all  through  that  trying  winter  in  his  works  about  Knox- 
ville,  is  old  history. 

The  Confederate  government  finally  abandoned  the 
plan  of  occupying  East  Tennessee,  and  on  the  7th  of 
April  Longstreet  was  ordered,  with  the  part  of  his  com 
mand  that  had  originally  served  with  the  Army  of 
Northern  Virginia,  to  join  General  Lee  on  the  Rapi- 
dan. 

I  have  gone  thus  far  into  the  East  Tennessee  cam 
paigns  for  the  pleasure  it  gives  me  to  reproduce  the 
following  resolutions  passed  by  the  Confederate  Con 
gress  during  General  Longstreet's  arduous  work  in  the 
winter  of  1863-64: 

"  No.  42.  Joint  Resolutions  of  Thanks  to  Lieutenant-General 
Longstreet  and  the  officers  and  men  of  his  command. 

"  Resolved  by  the  Congress  of  the  Confederate  States  of 
America,  That  the  thanks  of  the  Congress  are  due,  and  hereby 
cordially  tendered,  to  Lieutenant-General  James  Longstreet  and 
the  officers  and  men  of  his  command,  for  their  patriotic  services 
and  brilliant  achievements  in  the  present  war,  sharing  as  they 
have  the  arduous  fatigues  and  privations  of  many  campaigns  in 
Virginia,  Maryland,  Pennsylvania,  Georgia,  and  Tennessee,  and 
participating  in  nearly  every  great  battle  fought  in  those  States, 
the  commanding  general  ever  displaying  great  ability,  skill,  and 
prudence  in  command,  and  the  officers  and  men  the  most  heroic 
bravery,  fortitude,  and  energy,  in  every  duty  they  have  been 
called  upon  to  perform. 

"  Resolved,  That  the  President  be  requested  to  transmit  a  copy 
of  the  foregoing  resolutions  to  Lieutenant-General  Longstreet 
for  publication  to  his  command. 

"  Approved  February  17,  1864." 


204 


THE  WILDERNESS 


THE    WILDERNESS 

THE  Wilderness  is  a  forest  land  about  fifteen  miles 
square,  lying  between  and  equidistant  from  Orange 
Court-House  and  Fredericksburg.  It  is  broken  occa 
sionally  by  small  farms  and  abandoned  clearings,  and 
two  roads, — the  Orange  Plank  Road  and  the  turnpike, 
which  are  cut  at  right  angles  by  the  Germania  road, — in 
general  course  nearly  parallel,  open  ways  through  it 
between  Fredericksburg  and  the  Court-House.  The 
Germania  Ford  road  joins  the  Brock  road,  the  strategic 
line  of  the  military  zone,  and  crosses  the  turnpike  at 
Wilderness  Tavern  and  the  plank  road  about  two  miles 
south  of  that  point. 

General  Grant  was  making  his  head-quarters  near  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  in  Culpeper  County,  Virginia, 
commanded  by  Major-General  George  G.  Meade.  The 
aggregate  of  the  Federal  command  was  about  one  hun 
dred  and  thirty  thousand  men. 

The  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  was  on  the  west  side 
of  the  Rapidan  River.  Its  total  number  at  the  begin 
ning  of  the  campaign  was  then  put  by  Colonel  Taylor, 
chief  of  staff,  at  about  sixty-four  thousand. 

However,  the  numerical  strength  of  the  armies  did 
not  decide  the  merits  of  the  campaign.  The  com 
manders  on  both  sides  had  chosen  their  ground  after 
mature  deliberation.  They  knew  of  each  other's  num 
bers  and  resources,  and  made  their  plans  accordingly. 
A  number  of  their  respective  leaders  had  known  each 
other  personally  for  more  than  twenty  years.  They  had 
the  undivided  support  and  confidence  of  their  govern 
ments  and  their  armies.  General  Lee  was  as  always  the 
trusted  leader  of  the  Confederates;  General  Grant  by 
his  three  years'  service  in  the  West  had  become  known 
as  an  all-round  soldier  seldom  if  ever  surpassed.  Gen- 

205 


GREAT  BATTLES  BEFORE  AND  AFTER  GETTYSBURG 

eral  Longstreet,  who  thought  most  highly  of  General 
Grant  from  every  stand-point,  always  said  that  the  big 
gest  part  of  him  was  his  heart. 

In  this  case  General  Grant  had  no  fixed  plan  of 
campaign  except  to  avoid  the  strong  defensive  line 
occupied  by  General  Lee,  and  to  draw  him  out  to 
open  battle. 

General  Lee's  orders  were  against  a  general  engage 
ment  until  the  Federal  forces  should  attack,  but  in  the 
midst  of  varied  manoeuvrings  the  battle  was  begun  in 
half  a  dozen  quarters  before  either  commanding  gen 
eral  had  expected  it.  Hancock  advanced  before  sunrise 
ready  for  battle,  just  as  Longstreet's  command,  which 
had  come  up  from  Mechanicsville,  reported  to  General 
Lee.  Longstreet's  line  was  formed  along  the  right  and 
left  of  the  plank  road,  Kershaw  on  the  right,  Field  on 
the  left.  Hancock's  musketry  was  doing  considerable 
damage  to  the  forces  in  front,  and  as  Longstreet's  lines 
were  forming  the  men  broke  files  to  give  free  passage 
for  their  comrades  to  the  rear.  The  advancing  fire  was 
getting  brisk,  but  not  a  shot  was  fired  in  return  by  Long- 
street's  troops  until  the  divisions  were  ready.  Three  of 
Field's  brigades  were  formed  in  the  line  of  the  left,  and 
three  of  Kershaw's  on  the  right.  The  advance  of  the 
six  brigades  was  ordered,  and  Hancock's  lines,  thinned 
by  their  previous  fighting  and  weaker  than  the  fresh 
men  now  coming  against  them,  were  checked  and  pushed 
back  to  their  intrenched  lines.  Then  the  fighting  be 
came  steady  and  firm. 

Finally  Hancock's  line  began  to  break.  As  they  re 
treated  and  the  Confederates  advanced,  a  fire  was 
started  in  the  dry  leaves  and  began  to  spread.  The 
Confederate  forces,  in  spite  of  the  fire,  moved  on.  As 
the  battle  waged,  General  Wadsworth,  who  was  gal 
lantly  leading  a  division  of  the  Federal  forces,  fell 
mortally  wounded,  and  there  was  then  a  general  break 


206 


THE  WILDERNESS 

in  the  Union  line.  Jenkins's  brigade  was  conspicuous 
among  the  Confederates  in  pursuit.  Jenkins  exclaimed 
to  those  around  him,  "  I  am  happy;  I  have  felt  despair 
of  the  cause  for  some  months,  but  am  relieved,  and  feel 
assured  that  we  will  put  the  enemy  back  across  the  Rapi- 
dan  before  night."  A  few  minutes  later  he  fell  mortally 
wounded.  In  the  general  melee  Longstreet  was  leading 
in  advance  of  his  troops,  and  in  the  midst  of  close  firing 
was  shot  by  his  own  men.  This  caused  the  Confederate 
lines  to  slow  up  in  their  advance.  Orders  were  given 
General  Field  by  Longstreet  to  push  on  before  the 
enemy  could  have  time  to  rally,  but  in  the  midst  of  the 
general  confusion,  General  Lee  ordered  the  broken  lines 
to  be  reformed,  and  the  advantage  already  gained  was 
not  followed  up. 

General  Field,  in  his  subsequent  account  of  the  day, 
said, — 

"  I  was  at  Longstreet's  side  in  a  moment,  and  in  answer  to 
my  anxious  inquiry  as  to  his  condition,  he  replied  that  he  would 
be  looked  after  by  others,  and  directed  me  to  take  command  of 
the  corps  and  push  on.  Though  at  this  moment  he  could  not 
have  known  the  extent  or  character  of  his  wounds  (that  they 
were  severe  was  apparent),  he  seemed  to  forget  himself  in  the 
absorbing  interest  of  the  movement  he  was  making. 

"  Had  our  advance  not  been  suspended  by  this  disaster,  I  have 
always  believed  that  Grant  would  have  been  driven  across  the 
Rapidan  before  night;  but  General  Lee  was  present,  and 
ordered  that  our  line,  which  was  nearly  a  right  angle,  should 
first  be  straightened  out.  The  difficulty  of  manoeuvring  through 
the  brush  made  this  a  tedious  operation,  so  that  when  we  did 
advance  with  large  reinforcements  from  Ewell's  Corps  placed 
under  my  orders,  the  enemy  was  found  awaiting  us  behind  new 
breastworks,  thoroughly  prepared." 

In  a  letter  touching  this  subject  to  General  Long- 
street,  Colonel  Fairfax  said, — 

207 


GREAT  BATTLES  BEFORE  AND  AFTER  GETTYSBURG 

"  On  reaching  the  line  of  troops  you  were  taken  off  the  horse 
and  propped  against  a  tree.  You  blew  the  bloody  foam  from 
your  mouth  and  said,  *  Tell  General  Field  to  take  command,  and 
move  forward  with  the  whole  force  and  gain  the  Brock  road/ 
but  meantime  hours  were  lost." 

A  Northern  historian  *  said,  on  the  same  point, — 

"  It  seemed  indeed  that  irretrievable  disaster  was  upon  us ;  but 
in  the  very  torrent  and  tempest  of  the  attack  it  suddenly  ceased 
and  all  was  still.  What  could  cause  this  surcease  of  effort  at 
the  very  height  of  success  was  then  wholly  unknown  to  us." 

Some  years  after,  General  Hancock  said  to  General 
Longstreet, — 

"  You  rolled  me  up  like  a  wet  blanket,  and  it  was  some  hours 
before  I  could  reorganize  the  battle." 


THE  CURTAIN  FALLS  AT  APPOMATTOX 

IN  discussing  the  war,  General  Longstreet  always 
dwelt  with  peculiar  tenderness  on  the  last  days  that  cul 
minated  with  the  surrender  at  Appomattox.  His  mental 
belief  for  two  years  before  the  surrender  was  that  from 
the  very  nature  of  the  situation  the  Union  forces  would 
in  all  probability  finally  triumph,  but  his  brave  heart 
never  knew  how  to  give  up  the  fight,  and  the  surrender 
was  at  last  agreed  upon  while  he  was  still  protesting 
against  it. 

The  incident  is  well  known  of  a  number  of  the  leading 
Confederate  generals,  who,  having  decided  that  further 
resistance  was  useless,  went  to  General  Lee  and  sug 
gested  surrender  upon  the  best  terms  that  could  be  had 
as  the  wisest  thing  to  do.  General  Longstreet  declined 

*  Swinton,  Decisive   Battles   of  the  War,  p.   378. 
208 


THE  CURTAIN  FALLS  AT  APPOMATTOX 

to  join  with  them.  General  Pendleton  was  spokesman 
for  the  party.  His  account  of  the  conference  is  thus 
related  by  General  A.  L.  Long  in  his  Memoirs  of  Lee : 

"  General  Lee  was  lying  on  the  ground.  No  others  heard 
the  conversation  between  him  and  myself.  He  received  my  com 
munication  with  the  reply,  '  Oh,  no ;  I  trust  that  it  has  not 
come  to  that,'  and  added,  '  General,  we  have  yet  too  many  bold 
men  to  think  of  laying  down  our  arms.  The  enemy  do  not 
fight  with  spirit,  while  our  boys  do.  Besides,  if  I  were  to  say 
a  word  to  the  Federal  commander,  he  would  regard  it  as  such 
a  confession  of  weakness  as  to  make  it  the  condition  of  de 
manding  an  unconditional  surrender,  a  proposal  to  which  I  will 
never  listen.  ...  I  have  never  believed  we  could,  against  the 
gigantic  combination  for  our  subjugation,  make  good,  in  the 
long  run,  our  independence,  unless  some  foreign  power  should, 
directly  or  indirectly,  assist  us.  .  .  .  But  such  considerations 
really  make  with  me  no  difference.  We  had,  I  am  satisfied,  sacred 
principles  to  maintain,  and  rights  to  defend,  for  which  we  were 
in  duty  bound  to  do  our  best,  even  if  we  perished  in  the  en 
deavor.' 

"  Such  were,  as  nearly  as  I  can  recall  them,  the  exact  words 
of  General  Lee  on  that  most  pitiful  occasion.  You  see  in  them 
the  soul  of  the  man.  Where  his  conscience  dictated  and  his 
judgment  decided,  there  his  heart  was." 

No  words  of  eulogy  show  up  so  clearly  the  characters 
of  Lee  and  likewise  of  Grant  as  their  own  direct  words 
and  deeds.  On  the  evening  of  April  7,  1865,  General 
Grant  wrote  General  Lee  as  follows: 

"  The  results  of  the  last  week  must  convince  you  of  the  hope 
lessness  of  further  resistance  on  the  part  of  the  Army  of  North 
ern  Virginia  in  this  struggle.  I  feel  that  it  is  so,  and  regard 
it  as  my  duty  to  shift  from  myself  the  responsibility  of  any 
further  effusion  of  blood  by  asking  of  you  the  surrender  of 
that  portion  of  the  Confederate  army  known  as  the  Army  of 
Northern  Virginia." 

14  209 


GREAT  BATTLES  BEFORE  AND  AFTER  GETTYSBURG 

General  Longstreet  was  with  General  Lee  when  he 
received  this  note.  It  was  handed  to  General  Long- 
street  without  a  word.  After  reading  it  General  Long- 
street  handed  it  back,  saying,  "  Not  yet."  General  Lee 
replied  to  General  Grant  that  same  evening : 

"  I  have  received  your  note  of  this  day.  Though  not  enter 
taining  the  opinion  you  express  on  the  hopelessness  of  further 
resistance  on  the  part  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  I 
reciprocate  your  desire  to  avoid  useless  effusion  of  blood,  and 
therefore,  before  considering  your  proposition,  ask  the  terms 
you  will  offer  on  condition  of  its  surrender." 

While  this  correspondence  was  pending,  both  armies, 
under  the  respective  directions  of  Grant  and  of  Lee, 
continued  their  preparations  for  battle  as  if  there  was 
no  thought  of  cessation.  The  next  day,  April  8,  Gen 
eral  Grant  wrote  General  Lee  as  follows: 

"  Your  note  of  last  evening,  in  reply  to  mine  of  the  same  date 
asking  the  conditions  on  which  I  will  accept  surrender  of  the 
Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  is  just  received.  In  reply  I  would 
say  that,  peace  being  my  great  desire,  there  is  but  one  condi 
tion  I  would  insist  upon, — namely,  that  the  men  and  officers 
surrendered  shall  be  disqualified  for  taking  up  arms  again 
against  the  United  States  government  until  properly  exchanged. 
I  will  meet  you,  or  will  designate  officers  to  meet  any  officers 
you  might  name  for  the  same  purpose,  at  any  point  agreeable 
to  you,  for  the  purpose  of  arranging  definitely  the  terms  upon 
which  the  surrender  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  will  be 
received." 

To  this  General  Lee  replied,  under  the  same  date : 

"  I  received  at  a  late  hour  your  note  of  to-day.  In  mine  of 
yesterday  I  did  not  intend  to  propose  the  surrender  of  the  Army 
of  Northern  Virginia,  but  to  ask  the  terms  of  your  proposition. 
To  be  frank,  I  do  not  think  the  emergency  has  arisen  to  call 
for  the  surrender  of  this  army,  but  as  the  restoration  to  peace 

210 


THE  CURTAIN  FALLS  AT  APPOMATTOX 

should  be  the  sole  object  of  all,  I  desired  to  know  whether  your 
proposals  would  lead  to  that  end.  I  cannot,  therefore,  meet  you 
with  a  view  to  the  surrender  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia ; 
but  as  far  as  your  proposal  may  affect  the  Confederate  States 
forces  under  my  command  and  tend  to  the  restoration  of  peace, 
I  should  be  pleased  to  meet  you  at  ten  A.M.  to-morrow  on  the 
old  stage  road  to  Richmond,  between  the  picket-lines  of  the  two 
armies." 

That  night  General  Lee  spread  his  couch  about  a  hun 
dred  feet  from  the  saddle  and  blanket  that  were  Gen 
eral  Longstreet's  pillow  for  the  night,  and  it  is  not 
probable  that  either  had  a  more  comfortable  bed  than 
the  other.  Of  the  early  hours  of  the  next  day,  the  last 
day  of  active  existence  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Vir 
ginia,  Colonel  Venable,  of  General  Lee's  staff,  has 
written  a  touching  account,  which  is  published  in  Gen 
eral  Long's  "  Memoirs  of  General  Lee."  When  further 
resistance  seemed  useless,  he  quoted  General  Lee  as  say- 
ing,- 

"  Then  there  is  nothing  left  me  but  to  go  and  see  General 
Grant,  and  I  would  rather  die  a  thousand  deaths." 

Many  were  the  wild  words  of  passionate  grief  spoken 
by  the  officers  around  him.  Said  one,  "  Oh,  General, 
what  would  history  say  of  the  surrender  of  the  army  in 
the  field?"  According  to  Colonel  Venable,  General  Lee 
replied,  "  Yes,  I  know  they  will  say  hard  things  of  us ; 
they  will  not  understand  how  we  are  overwhelmed  with 
numbers.  But  that  is  not  the  question ;  the  question  is, 
Is  it  right  to  surrender  this  army?  If  it  is  right,  then 
I  will  take  all  the  responsibility." 

Presently  General  Lee  called  General  Longstreet  to 
ride  forward  with  him.  He  said  that  the  advance  col 
umns  stood  against  a  very  formidable  force  which  he 
could  not  break  through,  while  General  Meade  was  at 

Longstreet's  rear  ready  to  call  for  all  the  work  that  the 

211 


GREAT  BATTLES  BEFORE  AND  AFTER  GETTYSBURG 

rear  guard  could  do.  He  added  that  it  did  not  seem 
possible  for  him  to  make  further  successful  resistance. 
General  Longstreet  asked  if  the  sacrifice  of  his  army 
could  benefit  the  cause  in  other  quarters.  He  thought 
not.  Then,  said  Longstreet,  "  The  situation  speaks  for 
itself."  Several  other  leading  generals  were  consulted, 
and  all  of  them  held  the  same  view. 

Meanwhile,  the  Federal  forces  appeared  plainly  to  be 
preparing  for  attack.  The  Confederates  continued 
work  on  their  lines  of  defence.  General  Longstreet 
ordered  parts  of  the  rear  guard  forward  to  support  the 
advance  forces,  and  directed  General  E.  P.  Alexander 
to  establish  them  with  part  of  his  batteries  in  the  best 
position  for  support  or  rallying  line  in  case  the  front 
lines  were  forced  back. 

Thus  the  last  line  of  battle  formed  in  the  Army  of 
Northern  Virginia  was  by  the  invincible  First  Corps, 
twice  conqueror  of  empire! 

In  talking  over  the  delicate  situation,  General  Lee 
told  General  Longstreet  that  he  feared  his  refusal  to 
meet  General  Grant's  proposition  might  cause  him  to 
demand  harsh  terms.  General  Longstreet  assured  him 
that  he  knew  General  Grant  well  enough  to  be  certain 
that  the  best  terms  possible  would  be  given — even  such 
terms  as  he  himself  would  be  willing  to  give  a  gallant 
foe  under  similar  circumstances.  How  true  this  esti 
mate  proved  all  the  world  now  knows. 


212 


:\ 


APPENDIX 
LONGSTREET 

He  lies  in  state,  while  by  his  flag-draped  bier 

Pass  the  long  ranks  of  men  who  wore  the  gray — 
Men  who  heard  shriek  of  shot  and  shell  unmoved — 

Sobbing  like  children  o'er  the  lifeless  clay. 
Through  the  fair  South  the  heroes  whom  he  led 

Against  the  blue  lines  in  the  stricken  field 
Muse  on  the  days  ere  Appomattox  wrenched 

The  laurel  wreath  from  Dixie's  shattered  shield. 
The  glories  of  Manassas,  Chancellorsville, 

And  all  the  triumphs  those  gray  legions  gained 
Seem  gathered  in  a  shadowy  host  beside 

That  casket  and  those  colors  battle-stained! 
While  in  the  frozen  North  the  men  who  strove 

Against  his  squadrons,  bartering  blow  for  blow, 
Bow  silvered  heads,  exclaiming  lovingly, 

"  May  he  rest  well !    He  was  a  noble  foe !" 
Genius  and  courage  equally  were  his — 

He  fought  in  cause  his  heart  maintained  as  right, 
And  when  the  sword  clanked  in  the  rusted  sheath 

He  murmured  not  against  the  losing  fight, 
But  made  endeavor,  with  a  loyal  soul, 

To  heal  the  wounds  the  years  of  strife  had  wrought — 
And  in  the  fields  of  peace  more  glories  won 

Than  in  the  battles  his  gray  warriors  fought! 

— W.  A.  P.,  in  Chicago  Journal. 


213 


APPENDIX 


JAMES    LONGSTREET 

JAMES  LONGSTREET  was  born  in  Edgefield  District,  South 
Carolina,  January  8,  1821,  son  of  James  and  Mary  Ann  (Dent) 
Longstreet,  and  a  descendant  of  the  Longstreets  and  Randolphs 
of  New  Jersey  and  the  Dents  and  Marshalls  of  Maryland  and 
Virginia.  Richard  Longstreet,  progenitor  of  the  name  in 
America,  settled  in  Monmouth  County,  New  Jersey. 

James  Longstreet,  subject  of  this  sketch,  removed  with  his 
parents  to  Alabama  in  1831,  from  which  State  he  received  his 
appointment  to  West  Point,  and  was  graduated  from  the  United 
States  Military  Academy  in  1842.  He  was  promoted  in  the 
army  as  brevet  second  lieutenant  of  the  Fourth  Infantry,  July 
1,  1842,  and  served  in  garrison  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  Missouri, 
1842—44;  on  frontier  duty  at  Natchitoches,  Louisiana,  1844— 
45 ;  was  promoted  second  lieutenant  of  the  Eighth  Infantry, 
March  4,  1845 ;  was  in  military  occupation  of  Texas,  1845—46, 
and  served  in  the  war  with  Mexico,  1846-47.  He  partici 
pated  in  the  battle  of  Palo  Alto ;  May  8,  1846 ;  the  battle  of 
Resaca  de  la  Palma,  May  9,  1846;  was  promoted  first  lieutenant 
Eighth  Infantry,  February  23,  1847,  and  participated  in  the 
seige  of  Vera  Cruz,  March  9-29,  1847;  the  battle  of  Cerro 
Gordo,  April  17  and  18,  1847 ;  the  capture  of  San  Antonio 
and  the  battle  of  Churubusco,  August  20,  1847 ;  the  battle  of 
Molino  del  Rey,  September  8,  1847;  the  storming  of  Chepul- 
tepec,  September  13,  1847,  where  he  was  severely  wounded  in 
the  assault  on  the  fortified  convent.  He  was  brevetted  captain, 
August  20,  1847,  "  for  gallant  and  meritorious  conduct  in  the 
battles  of  Churubusco  and  Contreras,"  and  major,  September  8, 
1847,  "  for  gallant  and  meritorious  conduct  at  the  battle  of 
Molino  del  Rey."  He  served  as  adjutant  of  the  Eighth  In 
fantry,  1847—49;  was  in  garrison  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  1848— 
49;  and  served  on  frontier  duty  in  Texas  in  1849.  He  was 
chief  of  Commissariat  of  the  Department  of  Texas,  1849—51, 
and  served  on  scouting  duty  in  Texas,  Kansas,  and  New  Mexico, 
1851-61.  He  was  promoted  captain,  December  7,  1852,  and 

214 


JAMES  LONGSTREET 

major  of  staff  and  paymaster  July  19,  1858.  He  resigned  his 
commission  in  1861  and  was  appointed  brigadier-general  in  the 
Confederate  States  army,  and  commanded  a  brigade  at  Black 
burn's  Ford,  Virginia,  from  July  18  to  and  including  July  21, 
1861.  He  was  promoted  major-general  and  commanded  the 
rear  guard  of  Joseph  E.  Johnston's  army  during  the  re 
treat  from  Yorktown,  Virginia.  He  commanded  the  Confeder 
ate  forces  in  the  field,  composed  of  his  own  and  part  of  D.  H. 
Hill's  division  and  Stuart's  cavalry  brigade,  at  the  battle  of 
Williamsburg,  May  5,  1862;  commanded  the  right  wing  of 
Johnston's  army  at  Seven  Pines,  May  31  and  June  1,  1862;  his 
own  and  A.  P.  Hill's  division,  in  the  Seven  Days'  Battle  before 
Richmond;  and  commanded  the  right  wing  of  Lee's  army  of 
Northern  Virginia  in  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run,  August  29 
and  30,  1862;  and  in  the  Maryland  campaign,  September, 
1862;  the  First  Corps  (Confederate  left)  at  the  battle  of 
Fredericksburg,  December  13,  1862.  He  was  on  duty  south  of 
the  James  River  in  April,  1863,  and  was  ordered  to  rejoin 
General  Lee  at  Chancellorsville,  Virginia,  but  Lee,  without 
awaiting  his  return  made  precipitate  battle  May  2  to  4,  1863. 
He  commanded  the  right  wing  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Vir 
ginia  at  Gettysburg  July  1  to  3,  1863.  He  served  under 
General  Bragg  in  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  and  commanded 
the  left  wing  of  that  army,  composed  of  Hindman's  division, 
Folk's  corps,  Buckner's  corps,  and  two  divisions  and  artillery 
of  Longstreet's  corps,  at  the  battle  of  Chickamauga,  September 
19  and  20,  1863.  He  was  sent  with  part  of  his  corps  and 
Wheeler's  cavalry  against  Burnside's  army  in  East  Tennessee, 
in  November,  with  orders  to  recover  possession  of  that  part  of 
the  State.  He  drove  Burnside  back  into  his  works  around 
Knoxville,  and  held  him  there  under  seige  from  November  17 
to  December  4,  1863,  when  Sherman  approached  with  twenty 
thousand  of  Grant's  army,  near  Chattanooga,  for  relief  of  the 
besieged  army.  Bragg  ordered  precipitate  attack  of  the  forti 
fications,  but  they  were  too  strong  to  be  carried  by  assault. 
Just  then  orders  came  from  President  Davis  for  Longstreet  to 
return  to  Bragg's  army  in  distress  at  Chattanooga.  Long- 
street  held  his  army  in  possession  of  East  Tennessee,  keeping 

215 


APPENDIX 

the  Federal  forces  close  about  their  works,  until  January,  1864, 
when  he  was  ordered  to  withdraw  towards  General  Lee's  army 
in  Virginia,  and  he  participated  in  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness, 
May  5  and  6,  1864,  when  he  commanded  the  two  divisions  of  the 
First  Corps  forming  the  right  of  Lee's  army,  and  was  severely 
wounded.  After  convalescing  he  participated  in  all  the  en 
gagements  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  in  1864.  He 
commanded  the  First  Corps  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia 
from  the  date  of  its  organization  until  surrendered  by  General 
Lee  at  Appomattox  Court-House,  Virginia,  April  9,  1865.  He 
was  called  the  hardest  fighter  in  the  Confederate  army,  and  the 
fairest  military  critics  of  the  century  have  estimated  his  mili 
tary  genius  as  second  to  no  commander  in  the  Confederate 
States  service. 

He  removed  to  New  Orleans  and  engaged  in  commerce  im 
mediately  after  the  surrender.  He  was  Surveyor  of  Customs 
of  the  Port  of  New  Orleans,  1869;  Supervisor  of  Internal 
Revenue,  1878;  Postmaster  at  Gainesville,  Georgia,  1879,  and 
was  appointed  by  President  Hayes  United  States  Minister  to 
Turkey,  serving  1880.  He  was  United  States  Marshal  of  the 
Northern  District  of  Georgia,  in  1881,  and  was  appointed 
United  States  Commissioner  of  Railroads  by  President  McKinley 
in  October,  1897,  serving  until  the  date  of  his  death  in  1904. 

On  the  8th  day  of  March,  1848,  at  Lynchburg,  Virginia,  he 
was  married  to  Marie  Louise  Garland,  daughter  of  General  John 
Garland,  U.S.A.,  of  a  noted  Virginia  family,  hero  of  two  wars. 
Mrs.  Longstreet  died  at  Gainesville,  Georgia,  December  29, 
1889. 

On  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  battle  of  Molino  del  Rey, 
September  8,  1897,  at  the  Executive  Mansion  in  Atlanta, 
Georgia,  he  was  married  to  Helen  Dortch,  daughter  of  the  late 
Colonel  James  S.  Dortch,  a  brilliant  Georgia  lawyer,  of  a  dis 
tinguished  North  Carolina  family. 

General  Longstreet  died  at  Gainesville,  Georgia,  January  2, 
1904,  and  was  buried  at  Alta  Vista  Cemetery,  that  place,  with 
military  honors,  January  6. 


216 


THE  FUNEBAL  CEREMONIES 


THE   FUNERAL   CEREMONIES 

(A.  S.  Hardy  y  in  the  Constitution,  Atlanta,  Georgia.} 

GAINESVILLE,  GEORGIA,  January  6,  1904. 

The  funeral  of  General  James  Longstreet,  which  was  held  at 
eleven  o'clock  to-day  at  the  county  court-house,  was  the  most 
impressive  ceremonial  ever  held  in  Gainesville.  Several  thou 
sand  people  gathered  in  and  around  the  court-house,  and  when 
the  guards  threw  open  the  doors  to  the  public  just  preceding  the 
service,  which  occurred  in  the  main  court-room  instead  of  in  the 
rotunda  as  originally  intended,  there  was  a  great  crush,  though 
every  endeavor  was  made  to  handle  the  vast  throng  with  every 
possible  ease.  Only  a  few  minutes  were  consumed  in  filling 
every  available  seat,  and  outside  there  appeared  to  be  absolutely 
no  diminution  in  the  size  of  the  crowd. 

A  few  moments  before  twelve  o'clock,  the  active  pall-bearers 
bore  the  casket  up  the  stairway  from  the  rotunda,  where  it  had 
lain  in  state  from  two  o'clock  yesterday,  and  placed  it  in  posi 
tion  just  in  front  of  the  judge's  rostrum.  It  was  banked  in  a 
profusion  of  exquisite  floral  offerings,  many  of  which  came  from 
out-of-town  Confederate  camps,  other  organizations,  and  from 
personal  friends.  Across  the  head  and  foot  were  thrown  a  Con 
federate  and  a  United  States  flag,  and  standing  near  was  the 
handsome  silk  flag  of  the  Candler  Horse  Guards. 

If  any  should  doubt  that  the  people  among  whom  the  General 
lived  did  not  love  him  and  revere  his  memory,  this  doubt  woulcj 
have  been  dispelled  to-day  if  they  had  seen  the  demonstration 
over  his  casket  as  the  last  sad  rites  were  being  said.  Not  a 
business  house  in  town  was  open,  everything  in  the  city  closing 
tight  their  doors  from  the  beginning  of  the  funeral  until  after 
the  body  was  placed  to  rest  in  Alta  Vista  Cemetery.  From 
every  quarter  the  people  came  and  upon  every  lip  there  was 
praise  of  the  immortal  deeds  of  the  great  Confederate  com 
mander. 

As  the  body  was  being  placed  in  position,  Bishop  Keiley, 
Father  Schadewell,  of  Albany,  and  Father  Gunn,  of  Sacred 
Heart  Church,  Atlanta,  emerged  from  the  judge's  private 

217 


APPENDIX 

chambers  on  the  left  and  were  escorted  to  a  position  in  front  of 
the  casket.  The  burial  service  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church 
was  conducted  by  the  Right  Rev.  Bishop  Keiley,  of  Savannah; 
Father  Schadewell,  of  Albany,  and  Dr.  Gunn,  of  the  Sacred 
Heart  Church,  of  Atlanta.  Father  Schadewell  read  the  litur 
gical  Latin  service,  then  gave  the  same  in  English.  Some  of  the 
beautiful  prayers  are  given  elsewhere. 

After  reading  the  service  and  the  blessing  of  the  remains 
the  right  reverend  bishop,  who  himself  had  served  as  a  soldier 
from  1860  to  1864  in  the  Confederate  army  under  Longstreet, 
spoke  as  follows : 

"  Had  it  pleased  God  that  the  cause  which  met  defeat  at  Ap- 
pomattox  eight  and  thirty  years  ago  had  been  crowned  with 
that  success  for  which  both  its  justice  and  the  singular  de- 
votedness  of  its  defenders  had  given  us  right  and  warrant  to 
hope,  a  far  different  scene  had  been  witnessed  here  to-day.  It 
might  have  been  that  Federal  as  well  as  State  authorities  had 
met  to  pay  a  merited  tribute  to  this  dead  hero,  who  valiantly 
sustained  on  many  a  bloody  field  the  imperishable  principles  of 
the  right  of  self-government. 

"  Had  it  pleased  God  to  spare  the  precious  lives  of  those  of 
his  companions  in  arms  who  have  passed  over  the  river,  then 
we  had  seen  the  peerless  Lee,  the  brave  Johnston,  and  the  dash 
ing  Hampton  sharing  our  grief  and  mingling  their  tears  with 
ours  over  the  remains  of  the  soldier  whom  Lee  loved.  Is  there 
e'en  a  suggestion  of  irreverence  in  the  thought  whidh  would 
people  this  hall  with  the  dauntless  spirits  of  our  dead? 

"  Having  met  defeat  in  an  unequal  struggle  and  having 
loyally  accepted  the  results  of  that  struggle;  having  devoted 
our  time  and  scanty  means  to  the  upbuilding  of  our  loved  land ; 
having  been  blessed  by  a  merciful  God  beyond  our  dreams  or 
deserts,  we  lay  aside  our  tasks  to-day  for  awhile  to  recall  the 
glories  of  our  past  and  to  tell  of  the  valor  of  one  who  fought 
and  bled  for  us. 

"  The  foeman  need  not  frown, 

They  are  all  powerless  now; 
We  gather  here  and  we  lay  them  down, 
And  tears  and  prayers  are  the  only  crown 
We  bring  to  wreathe  each  brow. 
218 


THE  FUNERAL  CEREMONIES 

"  Having  passed  the  span  which  Providence  ordinarily  allots 
as  the  term  of  human  life,  General  James  Longstreet  has  an 
swered  the  roll-call  of  the  great  God. 

"  What  a  brilliant  page  in  history  is  filled  with  his  grand 
career.  Born  more  than  eighty  years  ago  in  the  neighboring 
State  of  South  Carolina,  he  entered  West  Point  in  his  seven 
teenth  year  and  graduated  therefrom  in  his  twenty-first.  He 
served  with  marked  distinction  in  the  Mexican  War  and  was  more 
than  once  complimented  for  his  gallant  conduct  and  merited 
and  received  promotion. 

"  When  the  Southern  States  withdrew  from  the  Union  by 
reason  of  attacks  on  their  reserved  rights  which  were  guaranteed 
by  the  Constitution,  and  were  forced  into  the  war  between  the 
States,  James  Longstreet  offered  his  services  and  sword  to  the 
cause  of  self-government.  No  history  of  the  war  may  be  written 
which  does  not  bear  emblazoned  on  every  page  the  story  of  his 
deeds.  Why  need  I  recount  them  here?  Assuredly  no  one  will 
question  the  gross  impropriety  of  discussing  incidents  of  the 
career  of  Longstreet  during  the  war  which  have  been  the  sub 
ject  of  criticism  by  some. 

"  We  who  knew  him  forty-odd  years  ago ;  we  who  shared 
his  convictions  and  in  humble  ways  bore  a  part  in  the  good 
cause ;  we  know  what  a  tower  of  strength  Longstreet  was  to  the 
noblest  knight  who  has  graced  tented  field  since  the  peerless 
Bayard  passed  from  earth, — Robert  E.  Lee;  we  feel  and  know 
to-day  that  neither  boundless  praise  nor  fullest  words  of  grati 
tude  can  exaggerate  the  worth  of  James  Longstreet  or  pay  him 
what  we  owe. 

"  By  what  I  deem  is  a  peculiarly  fortunate  coincidence,  we 
are  committing  his  remains  to  the  tomb  on  a  day  when  the 
Catholic  Church  commemorates  the  manifestation  of  our  Saviour 
to  the  Gentiles  in  the  persons  of  the  wise  men,  who,  led  by  a 
star,  came  from  their  distant  homes  to  Bethlehem.  The  Bible 
tells  us  that  they  found  the  Child  and  Mary,  His  Mother. 
God  has  sent  stars  which  have  been  beacon-lights  on  our  pathway 
through  the  world,  though  in  their  gleaming  we  have  foolishly 
failed  at  times  to  see  the  guiding  hand  of  a  merciful  Providence. 
Joy  and  sorrow,  sickness,  and  even  death  have  been  stars  which 
should  have  led  us  nearer  and  nearer  to  God. 

219 


APPENDIX 

"  It  is  my  duty  as  a  priest  of  God  to  call  your  attention  to 
the  obvious  lesson  of  this  occasion, — the  vanity  of  mere  earthly 
greatness  and  the  certainty  of  death  and  the  necessity  of  prepa 
ration  for  it.  James  Longstreet  was  a  brave  soldier,  a  gallant 
gentleman,  but  better  still — a  consistent  Christian.  After  the 
war  between  the  States  he  became  a  member  of  the  Catholic 
Church,  and  to  his  dying  day  remained  faithful  to  her  teaching 
and  loyal  to  her  creed. 

"  Deep  down  in  the  heart  and  breast  of  every  man  when 
touched  by  the  correcting  hand  of  God  there  is  a  longing  for 
some  means  of  communicating  with  loved  ones  who  have  been 
taken  from  us  by  death.  Oh  that  we  might  reach  them  or  tell 
them  of  our  love  or  do  something  for  them ! 

**  In  that  familiar  profession  of  faith,  which  comes  down  to 
us  even  from  the  days  of  the  immediate  followers  of  the  Master, 
there  is  a  clause  which  brings  comfort  to  the  afflicted  heart  of 
the  sorrowing  and  answers  the  longings  of  the  grief -stricken. 
It  is  that  solemn  profession  of  our  belief  in  the  communion  of 
saints. 

"  To  the  Catholic  heart  it  tells  of  a  golden  chain  of  interces 
sion  longer  than  the  ladder  of  the  patriarch  and  reaching  from 
the  cold  dead  clods  of  earth  even  to  the  great  throne  of  God; 
a  golden  chain  which  links  and  binds  together  the  children  of 
God  here  and  above;  a  brilliant  and  mystic  tie  which  binds  and 
unites  the  blessed  ones  who  now  see  God  in  heaven  to  us  who 
yet  labor  and  wait  in  this  vale  of  tears.  It  tells  us  of  their 
interest  in  our  salvation  and  their  prayers  in  our  behalf.  But 
it  brings  yet  more  solace  and  comfort  to  aching  hearts  when  it 
soothes  the  grief  of  those  who  are  in  doubt  as  to  the  dead  who 
have  had  their  garments  soiled  with  the  warfare  of  this  world 
and  have  left  it  not  prepared  to  meet  that  God  before  whom 
scarce  the  angels  are  pure;  for  it  tells,  too,  that  even  we  may 
aid  by  our  prayers  those  who  are  yet  in  the  communion  of  saints. 

"  The  last  words  of  Mother  Church  have  been  said  for  James 
Longstreet.  Softly  and  tenderly  they  fall  on  every  Christian 
ear,  for  the  children  of  the  Church  they  have  a  deeper  meaning. 

"  May  his  soul  rest  in  peace.    Amen." 

This  concluded  the  funeral  services  and  the  body  was  borne 

220 


THE  FUNERAL  CEREMONIES 

from  the  court-house  to  the  hearse  by  the  active  pall-bearers. 
The  procession  then  formed  in  the  following  order :  Queen  City 
Band,  Candler  Horse  Guards,  and  Governor's  Horse  Guards, 
honorary  escort;  hearse  with  pall-bearers,  family  and  relatives, 
Confederate  Veterans,  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy,  mayor 
and  council  and  county  officers,  Brenau  College,  Children  of  the 
Confederacy,  citizens  and  public  generally.  The  procession 
moved  up  North  Bradford  Street  to  Spring  Street,  out  Spring 
Street  to  Grove,  down  Grove  to  West  Broad,  thence  Broad  to 
Alta  Vista  Cemetery. 

Father  Schadewell  accompanied  the  remains  to  the  cemetery, 
where  a  short  service  was  held,  the  crowd  baring  their  heads 
when  the  following  prayer  was  read : 

"  Almighty  and  most  merciful  Father,  who  knowest  the  weak 
ness  of  our  nature,  bow  down  thine  ear  in  pity  unto  Thy  ser 
vants  upon  whom  Thou  hast  laid  the  heavy  burden  of  sorrow. 
Take  away  out  of  their  hearts  the  spirit  of  rebellion  and  teach 
them  to  see  Thy  good  and  gracious  purpose  working  in  all  the 
trials  which  Thou  dost  send  upon  them.  Grant  that  they  may 
not  languish  in  fruitless  and  unavailing  grief,  nor  sorrow  as 
those  who  have  no  hope,  but  meekly  look  up  to  Thee,  the  God 
of  all  consolation,  through  Christ  our  Lord.  Amen. 

"  Grant,  O  Lord,  that  whilst  we  lament  the  departure  of  our 
brother,  Thy  servant,  out  of  the  life,  we  may  bear  in  mind  that 
we  are  most  certainly  to  follow  him.  Give  us  grace  to  make 
ready  for  that  last  hour  by  a  devout  and  holy  life  and  protect 
us  against  a  sudden  and  unprovided  death.  Teach  us  how  to 
watch  and  pray  that  when  the  summons  comes  we  may  go  forth 
to  meet  the  bridegroom  and  enter  with  him  into  life  everlasting, 
through  Christ  our  Lord.  Amen.  Eternal  rest  grant  unto  him, 
O  Lord,  and  let  perpetual  light  shine  upon  him." 

A  volley  was  then  fired  over  the  grave  of  the  dead  leader  by 
the  Candler  Horse  Guards  and  a  detachment  from  the  Gover 
nor's  Horse  Guards,  under  command  of  Colonel  A.  J.  West,  and 
Captain  W.  N.  Pillow,  taps  were  sounded,  and  the  grave  closed 
over  one  of  the  greatest  warriors  the  world  has  ever  known. 


221 


APPENDIX 
(From  the  Atlanta,  Georgia,  Constitution.) 

(By  Alan  Rogers.) 
Pathetic  Scenes  Marked  the  Interment  of  Lee's  "Old  War-Horse." 

With  muffled  drums  and  the  flag  that  was  furled 

With  the  cause  that  was  lost,  when  the  last  smoke  curled 

From  the  last  old  gun,  at  the  last  brave  stand — 

His  soul  marched  on  with  the  old  command; 

And  the  step  was  slow,  as  they  bore  away, 

To  await  the  eternal  muster  day, 

Their  old-time  comrade,  lost  awhile, 

But  loved  long  since  for  the  brave  old  smile 

That  cleared  the  way  when  he  only  knew 

His  ways  were  Gray  and  their  ways  were  Blue; 

And  if  for  a  time,  he  walked  alone, 

He's  all  right  now,  for  "  Longstreet's  home:" 

Back  to  his  old  command  he's  gone, 

With  Lee  and  Jackson  looking  on, 

And  cheering  him  back  to  the  ranks  again 

With  the  Blue  and  the  Gray  all  melted  in. 

GAINESVILLE,  GEORGIA,  January  6,  1904. 

Slowly  the  bells  of  Gainesville  toll  a  requiem,  the  last  taps 
have  sounded  only  to  be  lost  again  across  the  winter-browned 
fields  of  Georgia,  but  the  reveille  of  awakening  still  rings  out 
clear  and  true  that  to-day  old  comrades  in  arms,  citizens,  soldiers, 
admirers,  friends,  women  of  the  South,  children  of  a  rising  gen 
eration,  Georgia,  and  all  Dixieland  may  know  that  Lieutenant- 
General  James  Longstreet,  the  "  war-horse"  of  the  Confederacy, 
has  at  last  again  joined  his  old  command. 

And  the  thousands  who  marched  to  the  little  cemetery  just  as 
the  sun  started  on  its  sleeping  journey  in  the  west  did  not  come 
to  say  a  last  good-by;  with  uncovered  heads  they  simply  said 
good-night. 

In  the  court-house  which  but  a  few  months  ago  was  a  converted 
hospital  for  the  care  of  those  maimed  by  a  terrible  cyclone,  the 
body  of  General  Longstreet  rests  beneath  the  Stars  and  Bars 
of  the  Confederacy  and  the  Stars  and  Stripes  of  the  Union. 
Old  soldiers  passed  in  a  never-ending  procession  with  uncovered 
heads  for  one  last  look  upon  the  face  of  their  commander.  Look 
if  you  will  behind  that  curtain  of  mist  before  the  eyes  of  that 

222 


THE  FUNERAL  CEREMONIES 

wearer  of  a  gray  uniform  and  you  will  see  quite  another  picture. 
It  is  that  of  his  beloved  "  Old  Pete,"  as  he  was  known  by  his 
own  command,  hurrying  on  to  the  support  of  General  Jackson 
at  Manassas.  Or  his  indomitable  courage  on  the  retreat  from 
Gettysburg  "  leading  on  and  on  as  strong  in  the  adversity  of 
defeat  as  in  the  success  that  follows  victory."  Or  perhaps  hur 
rying  towards  the  front  at  the  Wilderness,  the  intrepid  leader  so 
far  in  the  van  that  he  was  wounded  by  his  own  men.  Or  at 
the  last  succumbing  at  Appomattox  to  the  inevitable  and  with 
Lee  reaping  the  reward  of  honor  that  belonged  to  a  surrender 
that  cost  more  bravery  than  all  of  the  battles  of  that  blood- 
drained  period  of  history. 

The  sentinels  that  guard  the  bier  are  withdrawn.  The  body 
is  carried  by  loving  hands  to  the  court-room  above.  Here  in 
the  presence  of  his  nearest  relatives  and  friends  that  taxed  not 
alone  the  capacity  of  the  building,  but  overflowed  into  an  acre 
of  mourning  humanity  outside. 

Here  in  the  closely  crowded  hall  of  justice  converted  into  a 
sanctuary  by  lighted  candles  and  the  priestly  robes  of  the 
officiating  clergy,  the  services  were  held.  There  was  no  music 
save  the  stifled  sob  of  brave  men  whose  hearts  were  awakened  to 
the  sacred  ties  of  old-time  memories  in  a  way  beyond  their  con 
trol.  Bishop  Keiley,  himself  an  old  soldier  of  General  Long- 
street,  and  Rev.  Fathers  Gunn,  of  Atlanta,  and  Schadewell,  of 
Albany,  officiated.  After  the  reading  of  the  prayers  of  the 
impressive  service  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  Bishop  Keiley 
in  a  beautiful  eulogy  revered  again  the  memory  of  his  old  friend 
and  commander.  His  address  appears  in  another  column,  but 
the  choking  of  his  voice,  the  closed  eyes  shutting  back  the  tears 
that  would  come, — these  things  are  lost  in  the  reproduction  of 
printer's  ink  and  can  only  remain  in  the  memories  of  those  who 
were  so  privileged  as  to  be  present. 

The  picture  was  most  inspiring.  Look,  if  you  will,  at  the 
one-time  forest  of  battle-flags,  hewn  down  and  water-logged  in 
the  blood  of  many  victories  to  a  tiny  grove  of  priceless  ribbons 
that  rise  and  fall  with  the  wavering  strength  of  the  old  soldiers 
who  carry  them.  And  in  this  same  sweetly  sad  procession  march 
with  faltering  steps  the  men  who  wore  the  gray  and  the  sturdy 

223 


APPENDIX 

step  of  those  who,  now  belonging  to  a  rising  generation,  wear 
the  blue  of  the  reunited  union. 

But  perhaps  even  more  inspiring  than  the  uniforms  of  gray 
were  the  women  of  the  South,  Daughters  of  the  Revolution, 
school-girls,  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy,  many  of  them  wives 
or  widows  of  old  comrades — the  bravest  army  of  home-defenders, 
valor-inspiring  soldiers  that  ever  dared  not  only  to  die  but  to  let 
die  all  that  was  highest  and  dearest  in  one  common  cause.  Im 
pressive  is  the  marching  of  men.  But  the  marching  of  women 
— it  is  different,  wonderfully,  beautifully  different. 

What  was  said  may  soon  be  forgotten,  but  what  was  seen  by 
those  who  gathered  at  the  grave  will  live  forever  in  the  memory 
of  all  those  who  saw.  Above  the  opening  of  the  last  resting- 
place  of  General  Longstreet  the  two  flags  he  loved  so  well  were 
again  crossed  and  stacked  for  the  bivouac  that  knows  no  waking. 
Just  as  the  near  relatives  and  dearest  friends  were  gathered 
about  the  grave,  there  stepped  up  an  old  veteran  and  delivered 
the  Stars  and  Bars  as  the  last,  loving  message  from  General 
Jenkins,  of  North  Carolina.  With  this  old  flag  and  the  Stars 
and  Stripes,  the  General  was  buried. 

Then,  just  as  the  body  was  about  to  be  lowered,  another 
figure  bent  with  the  ravages  of  time  and  trembling  with  the  emo 
tion  that  bespeaks  a  tender  heart  and  brave  courage  made  his 
way  to  the  circle  about  the  grave.  His  interruption  of  the 
services  was  beautiful  beyond  all  hope  of  describing. 

"  I  want,"  he  said,  and  he  hesitated  not  as  one  who  has  for 
gotten  some  carefully  prepared  speech,  but  rather  as  one  whose 
heart  was  getting  the  better  of  his  attempt  at  expression,  "  I 
want  to  bury  this  jacket,  my  old  gray  jacket,  with  my  General. 
I've  got  my  papers,  too,  my  enlistment  papers.  They're  all 
here,  and  they're  all  clean.  I  wasn't  an  officer,  but  I  belonged 
to  Longstreet's  command,  and  I'd  rather  be  a  private  in  the  old 

corps   than,   than Well,    I've   served   my   time,    and   the 

General,  he's  served  his  time,  too.  And  I  reckon  I  won't  need 
my  uniform  and  papers  again.  But  I'd  like  to  leave  them  with 
him  for  always.  They  were  enlisted  under  his  command,  and 
as  I  don't  ever  want  to  be  mustered  out  again,  I'd  just  like  to 
leave  them  with  him  always,  if  you  don't  mind." 

224, 


THE  FUNERAL  CEREMONIES 

And  as  no  one  minded  unless  it  was  in  the  most  beautiful  way 
possible,  the  faded  gray  jacket  and  the  enlistment  papers  were 
lowered  with  the  crossed  flags  of  two  republics  and  many  floral 
offerings  as  a  last  loving  tribute  to  General  Longstreet,  who, 
with  the  final  sounding  of  taps,  again  passed  for  ever  and  ever 
to  his  waiting  commander  and  his  old  command. 


15  225 


APPENDIX 


TRIBUTES    FROM    THE   PRESS 

(Washington,  D.  C.,  Post.) 
"  His  are  as  noble  ashes  as  rest  beneath  the  sod  of  any  land." 

We  think  it  safe  to  say  that  there  is  something  in  the  sug 
gestion  that  these  late  attacks  on  General  Longstreet's  action 
at  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  have  for  their  inspiration  a  political 
bitterness  of  more  than  thirty  years'  standing.  Certainly,  it 
is  true  that  up  to  the  close  of  the  Civil  War,  and,  indeed,  for 
several  years  afterwards,  no  one  ever  heard  a  question  raised 
as  to  his  military  ability.  On  the  contrary,  it  was  everywhere 
conceded,  especially  by  his  immediate  comrades  and  associates, 
that  he  stood  almost  at  the  top  of  the  list  of  Confederate  war 
riors,  not  only  in  the  matter  of  professional  equipment,  but  in 
that  of  personal  integrity  and  character.  With  the  exception 
of  Robert  E.  Lee,  Longstreet  was  regarded  as  the  very  prince 
of  the  fighters,  strategists,  and  great  commanders  of  that  heroic 
episode.  If  any  one  had  hinted,  even  as  late  as  1869,  that  there 
was  the  smallest  flaw  in  his  fame,  either  as  a  soldier  or  a  gen 
tleman,  the  author  of  the  intimation  would  have  had  enough 
quarrels  on  his  hands  to  last  him  to  his  dying  day. 

Along  in  the  later  sixties,  however,  Longstreet  was  a  resident 
of  New  Orleans.  He  had  engaged  in  business  there,  having  as 
his  partner  Colonel  Owen,  another  Southern  soldier  of  high 
standing  and  distinguished  service.  The  shadow  of  reconstruc 
tion  was  then  brooding  over  the  South,  and  thoughtful  men, 
who  had  accepted  the  result  of  the  war  in  loyal  faith,  consulted 
together  as  to  the  best  means  of  averting  its  evils,  which  were 
at  that  time  sufficiently  defined.  Finally,  in  1870  or  1871,  the 
so-called  "  Unification  Movement"  was  launched.  At  its  head 
were  numbers  of  the  most  prominent  and  influential  men  in 
Louisiana,  and  conspicuous  among  them  was  Beauregard.  The 
project  was  discussed  by  the  newspapers  and  generally  ap 
proved  in  the  more  substantial  and  responsible  circles.  At  last 

a  meeting  was  called  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  together  the 

226 


TRIBUTES  FROM  THE  PRESS 

best  representatives  of  both  races  and  arranging,  if  possible,  a 
course  of  action  which  would  make  for  peace  and  order  and 
avert  the  turmoil  that  afterwards  succeeded  to  the  irruption  of 
the  carpet-baggers  and  the  consequent  regime  of  chaos.  Before 
the  appointed  day,  however,  Longstreet's  coadjutors  experienced 
a  change  of  heart.  They  abandoned  the  experiment  which  they 
themselves  had  devised,  and  Longstreet  was  left  almost  without 
countenance  or  sympathy.  With  characteristic  determination, 
he  adhered  to  the  policy  his  judgment  and  conscience  had  origi 
nally  approved.  Of  course,  it  came  to  nothing,  and  he,  stung 
by  what  he  regarded  as  the  desertion  of  the  others,  and  still 
more  deeply  hurt  by  criticisms  showered  on  him,  often  from 
the  ranks  of  his  quondam  associates,  went  on  as  he  had  begun. 
Then  began  the  breach  which  in  time  widened  to  animosity, 
ostracism,  and  lifelong  alienation.  He  may  have  been  mis 
taken.  At  least  he  was  courageous  and  consistent.  But  we 
feel  sure  it  cannot  be  successfully  denied  that  doubts  as  to  his 
military  genius  were  cradled  in  that  unhappy  episode. 

We  have  no  idea  of  participating  in  any  controversy  over 
the  details  of  Gettysburg.  That  may  be  left  to  the  survivors 
who  were  in  a  position  to  form  intelligent  opinions.  For  our 
part,  we  think  of  Longstreet  now  as  all  of  his  compatriots 
thought  of  him  up  to  1870 — that  he  was  one  of  the  finest 
figures  on  the  stage  of  the  Civil  War ;  a  spectacle  of  perfect  gal 
lantry;  an  example  of  warlike  force  and  splendor.  We  do  not 
believe  he  ever  received  an  order  from  Lee  which  he  did  not 
execute  with  instant  energy.  We  do  not  believe  he  failed  in 
anything,  either  there  or  elsewhere,  that  became  a  valorous  and 
brilliant  soldier.  He  is  dead  now,  and  cannot  answer  his  ac 
cusers,  but  nearly  forty  years  have  elapsed  since  he  sheathed 
his  stainless  sword  in  1865,  and,  in  our  calm,  dispassionate 
opinion,  his  are  as  noble  ashes  as  rest  beneath  the  sod  of  any 
land. 

(Jacksonville,  Florida,  Times-Union.) 
"  Peace  and  honor  to  his  storm-driven  soul." 

Now  that  James  Longstreet  is  no   more,  the   South   should 

forgive  the  estrangement  that  followed  long  years  of  service, 

227 


APPENDIX 

Perhaps  he  was  wiser  than  we — perhaps  to-day  we  are  not  very 
far  from  the  position  he  took  a  generation  ago.  Perhaps  his 
greatness  as  a  soldier  was  largely  due  to  the  same  qualities  which 
set  his  people  in  opposition  to  him  in  civil  life — he  had  utter 
confidence  in  his  own  judgment,  and  he  went  straight  for  what 
he  thought  was  right  regardless  of  all  prudential  considera 
tions. 

We  have  accepted  the  result  of  the  war  in  good  faith — let 
us  accept  all  that  goes  with  it  in  our  hearts  and  minds.  Others 
advised  while  Longstreet  acted — once  we  hated  him  because  he 
headed  our  foes  to  make  us  keep  order;  were  the  riots  against 
which  Longstreet  stood  in  New  Orleans  to  be  repeated  in  Atlanta, 
we  know  Gordon  or  Wheeler  would  head  the  regulars  to  restore 
peace  and  order  if  their  counsels  were  disregarded.  The  time 
makes  a  difference  to  the  sufferers — but  not  to  the  historian 
through  whose  glasses  we  can  now  afford  to  look.  Longstreet 
is  dead — weave  violets  and  amaranth  in  his  wreath  of  laurel — 
peace  and  honor  to  his  storm-driven  soul. 

(Shelby,  North  Carolina,  Aurora.) 
"  Hero  of  two  wars  punished  for  his  politics  in  days  of  peace." 

A  camp  of  United  Confederate  Veterans  at  Wilmington,  at 
a  regular  meeting,  declined  to  send  resolutions  of  condolence 
and  sympathy  to  the  family  of  General  Longstreet  on  his  death. 

And  yet  General  Longstreet  was  a 

Hero  of  two  wars. 

He  was  the  "  War-Horse  of  the  Confederacy." 

He  was  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight  from  Manassas  to  Appo- 
mattox. 

He  was  familiarly  known  throughout  the  army  as  "  Old  Pete," 
and  was  considered  the  hardest  fighter  in  the  Confederate  service. 

He  had  the  unbounded  confidence  of  his  troops,  and  "  the 
whole  army  became  imbued  with  new  vigor  in  the  presence  of 
the  foe  when  it  became  known  down  the  line  that  '  Old  Pete' 
was  up." 

Why,  then,  did  not  the  Wilmington  camp  pass  those  resolu 
tions  ? 

228 


TRIBUTES  FROM  THE  PRESS 

Because  General  Longstreet  was  a  Republican.  For  this 
reason  he  was 

Hated, 

Abused, 

Slandered. 

He  was  charged  with  disobeying  General  Lee's  most  vital 
orders  at  Gettysburg,  causing  the  loss  of  the  battle  and  the 
ultimate  destruction  of  the  Confederacy. 

(Biblical,  North  Carolina,  Record.) 
"  So  long  as  Lee  lived  no  one  attacked  Longstreet's  military  honor." 

General  Longstreet  was  a  great  general.  He  was  an  able 
strategist,  a  hard  fighter,  and  a  faithful  soldier.  So  long  as 
Lee  lived  no  one  charged  Longstreet  with  failure  to  make  the 
fanciful  sunrise  attack  on  the  second  day  at  Gettysburg.  But 
when  Lee  had  died,  this  calumny  was  started,  and  it  was  used  in 
hounding  him  to  the  day  of  his  death — on  that  day  certain 
misguided  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy  refusing  to  send 
flowers  for  his  bier.  Longstreet  was  the  victim  of  a  foul  perse 
cution  by  a  partisan  press — the  like  of  which  we  see  nowadays 
at  ever-increasing  intervals.  They  did  not  approve  his  ideas, 
and  they  ruined  him.  He  advised  the  South  to  accept  the 
results  of  the  war;  his  business  was  taken  from  him,  his  friends 
were  estranged,  and  his  life  was  made  a  burden. 

His  magnificent  services  deserved  better  reward.  But  his 
tory  will  give  him  his  place ;  intolerance  even  now  is  departing ; 
and  as  for  Longstreet  himself,  he  stands  to-night  before  the 
Judge  of  all  the  world. 

(St.  Louis  Globe-Democrat.) 
"  Republicanism   does   not   necessarily  involve  treason   to   the   South." 

One  aspect  of  General  Longstreet's  career  from  Appomattox 
till  his  death  the  other  day  brings  out  a  very  unlovely  attribute 
which  was  obtrusive  in  the  South  during  these  years.  That  was 
the  ostracism  to  which  he  was  subject  because  he  joined  the  Re 
publican  party  and  accepted  two  or  three  offices  from  Repub 
lican  Presidents.  This  antagonism  towards  him  by  a  large  por- 

229 


APPENDIX 

tion  of  the  old  Confederate  element  gradually  diminished  as  a 
new  generation  in  the  South  appeared  on  the  scene.  Some  of 
the  feeling,  however,  remained  to  the  close  of  his  days,  and 
evinced  itself  in  the  obituaries  of  many  of  the  Southern  papers. 

A  few  facts  are  sufficient  to  expose  the  absurdity  of  this 
Southern  antagonism  to  Confederates  who  cast  their  fortunes 
with  the  Republicans  after  the  Confederacy  fell — this  feeling 
that  an  adherent  of  the  lost  cause  must  cling  everlastingly  to 
the  Democratic  party  through  evil  and  good  reports  under  the 
penalty  of  eternal  proscription.  In  the  score  of  years  from 
Longstreet's  graduation  from  West  Point  to  his  resignation, 
shortly  after  Sumter's  fall,  he  was  in  the  army,  and  a  partici 
pant  in  the  wars  in  Mexico  and  along  the  frontier  in  which  the 
army  was  engaged.  The  probability  is  that  until  after  Appo- 
mattox  he  never  cast  a  ballot  in  his  life.  Moreover,  at  the 
time  of  his  graduation,  many  of  the  South's  most  prominent 
statesmen — Tyler,  Brownlow,  Toombs,  Legare,  Bell,  Clayton, 
Upshur,  Henry  T.  Wise,  Botts,  Alexander  H.  Stephens,  and 
others — were  Whigs.  The  Whig,  Zachary  Taylor,  of  Louisi 
ana,  carried  more  Southern  States  than  did  his  Democratic 
antagonist,  Cass. 

What  warrant  had  the  South  for  proscribing  Longstreet, 
because  he,  a  soldier  who  never  had  any  politics  in  the  old  days, 
joined  the  Republican  party  just  as  soon  as  he  became  a  civilian 
and  got  a  chance  to  exercise  his  privileges  as  a  citizen?  Mosby, 
Mahone,  and  many  other  ex-Confederates  who  had  been 
civilians  before  the  war,  and  who,  presumably,  had  taken  some 
part  in  politics,  also  joined  the  Republican  party,  though  they 
did  not  do  this  quite  so  promptly  as  did  Longstreet.  When 
Foote,  of  Mississippi,  and  Orr,  of  South  Carolina,  both  of  whom 
had  been  prominent  in  Democratic  politics  before  the  war,  the 
latter  of  whom  had  been  Speaker  of  the  House  in  part  of 
Buchanan's  days  in  the  Presidency,  and  both  of  whom  had  been 
in  the  Confederate  service,  became  Republicans  soon  after  the 
Confederacy  collapsed,  their  neighbors  ought  to  have  grasped 
the  fact  that  there  must  have  been  something  in  this  party  which 
appealed  to  intelligent  public-spirited  men  of  all  localities,  and 
that  membership  in  it  by  a  South  Carolinian,  a  Georgian,  or  a 
Louisianian  did  not  necessarily  and  inevitably  involve  treason 

230 


TRIBUTES  FROM  THE  PRESS 

either  to  the  South's  interests  or  to  its  traditions.  Mixed  in 
with  the  many  shining  virtues  of  the  people  below  Mason  and 
Dixon's  line,  there  was,  as  shown  in  their  attitude  for  many 
years  towards  Longstreet,  one  very  unattractive  trait. 

(Vicksburg,  Mississippi,  Herald.) 

"  There  was  no  more  magnificent  display  of  heroism  during  the  entire 
war  than  at  Gettsyburg." 

As  truly  as  Warwick  was  the  last  of  the  barons  of  the  feudal 
era,  was  Longstreet  the  last  of  the  great  Confederate  com 
manders.  He  rose  to  prominence  in  the  early  engagements  of 
the  war — his  was  a  household  name  as  one  of  the  chief  hopes  of 
the  cause,  when  those  of  all  the  remaining  survivors  of  like  rank 
were  colonels  and  brigadiers.  At  the  first  Manassas,  Williams- 
burg,  Seven  Pines,  Seven  Days'  fight,  the  second  Manassas, 
Sharpsburg,  and  Fredericksburg  he  was  the  chief  subordi 
nate  figure  except  where  he  divided  the  honors  with  Stone 
wall  Jackson.  And  after  the  death  of  that  very  Napoleon  of 
war,  until  the  ultimo  suspiro  at  Appomattox,  Longstreet  was 
Lee's  right  hand;  or,  as  our  great  commander  fondly  called 
him,  "  my  old  war-horse."  How  highly  he  was  held  at  head 
quarters  and  the  war  department  was  shown  in  his  being  made 
the  senior  lieutenant-general,  even  over  Jackson,  after  the  1862 
test  by  fire. 

At  Gettysburg  Longstreet  was  in  charge  of  the  fighting  line, 
of  placing  the  divisions  in  action,  on  the  second  and  third  days 
of  that  Titanic  struggle.  Whatever  may  be  said  of  the  result, 
— of  the  errors  which  misinformation  and  sycophancy  have  at 
tempted  to  make  him  the  scapegoat  of, — there  was  no  more 
magnificent  display  of  heroism  during  the  entire  war. 

It  has  not  been  the  Southern  fashion  of  late  years  to  praise, 
or  even  practise  justice  towards,  Longstreet.  But  now  that  the 
stout  warrior  is  dead  and  gone  to  eternal  judgment,  all  should 
speak  of  his  virtues,  his  glorious  deeds  of  arms,  without  thought 
or  reference  to  that  sad  error  of  judgment  that,  no  smaller 
in  its  intent  and  inception  than  "  a  man's  hand,"  grew  to  a  dark 
cloud  betwen  Longstreet  and  his  people.  This  will  be  appre 
ciated  by  survivors  of  the  old  First  Corps,  no  good  soldier  of 

231 


APPENDIX 

which  has  ever  failed  to  repeat  with  pride,  "  I  followed  Long- 
street."  As  one  of  that  band  the  editor  of  the  Herald  has 
always  left  criticism  of  our  old  chief's  politics  to  others.  If 
ever  the  inclination  came  to  us,  there  rose  up  two  pictures  of 
the  past  that  forbade, — the  heroic  and  inspiring  figure  of  Long- 
street  as  he  rode  up  to  Colonel  Humphreys  of  the  Twenty-first 
Mississippi,  towards  the  close  of  that  grand  "  centre  rush"  of 
Barksdale's  brigade  that  swept  Sickles  and  his  Third  Corps  off 
of  the  "  Peach  Orchard  Hill,"  at  Gettysburg,  to  tell  him  that 
Barksdale  was  killed  and  to  take  command  of  the  brigade ;  and 
Longstreet  as  he  was  borne  from  the  front  at  the  Wilderness, 
all  faint  and  bloody  from  what  seemed  a  death  wound. 

Longstreet  is  now  no  more.  But  there  is  a  thrill  in  the  name 
that  carries  his  surviving  followers  backward  forty  years — re 
calling  the  roar  of  cannon,  the  charging  column,  the  "  rebel" 
yell,  the  groans  of  wounded  and  dying  comrades.  For, 

"  There  where  Death's  brief  pang  was  quickest, 
And  the  battle's  wreck  lay  thickest — 
There  be  sure  was  Longstreet  charging, 
There  he  ne'er  shall  charge  again." 

(Bainbridge,  Georgia,  Searchlight.) 
"  Robbed  of  the  laurels  won  in  peerless  campaigns." 

The  death  of  General  Longstreet  at  his  Gainesville  home  the 
other  day  removes  one  of  the  few  grand  actors  of  the  war 
drama  of  the  sixties.  He  was  known  as  the  "  old  war-horse 
of  the  Confederacy,"  and  perhaps  in  point  of  military  ability 
he  ranked  next  to  the  great  Lee  himself.  His  soldiers  had  the 
most  remarkable  confidence  in  him,  and  he  it  was  who  could  in 
spire  them  to  deeds  of  valor  unparalleled.  At  times  since  there 
have  been  those  who  have  attempted  to  cast  aspersions  on  his 
illustrious  name,  saying  that  he  disobeyed  Lee's  orders  at 
Gettysburg.  A  timely  article  has  just  been  published,  and 
curiously  in  the  same  paper  that  conveyed  the  sad  intelligence 
of  his  death,  from  the  pen  of  Mrs.  Longstreet,  presumably  com 
posed  with  the  aid  of  the  General  in  his  last  feeble  days,  that 
answers  completely  and  satisfactorily  all  charges  of  stubborn 
ness  or  disobedience  at  that  famous  battle.  It  is  a  pity  that  so 


TRIBUTES  FROM  THE  PRESS 

great  a  soldier  and  military  genius  should  not  have  been  allowed 
to  have  worn  the  laurels  of  so  many  peerless  campaigns  undis 
turbed  and  without  envy.  Now  that  he  is  dead  his  memory 
should  be  enshrined  in  the  hearts  of  a  grateful  people  for  whose 
cause  he  did  battle,  and  the  remembrance  of  his  illustrious  deeds 
should  be  handed  down  to  future  generations  as  those  of  the 
knights  of  the  round  table. 

(Thompson,  Georgia,  Progress.) 
"  Would  have  been  court-martialed  for  disobeying  orders  at  Gettysburg." 

It  is  passing  strange  that  any  one  should  make  such  a  charge 
against  General  Longstreet,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  General 
Lee  never  made  any  such  charge;  and  any  sane  man  knows 
that  he  would  have  made  the  charge  had  it  been  true,  and  no 
doubt  General  Longstreet  would  have  been  court-martialed  for 
such  an  offence,  especially  as  it  is  charged  that  this  probably 
lost  the  battle  to  the  Confederates. 

General  Longstreet  was  one  of  the  greatest  and  bravest  of  the 
Confederate  generals,  and  no  man  should  endeavor  to  dim  the 
lustre  of  his  brilliant  military  record  or  cast  reflections  upon 
his  good  name  as  a  citizen  or  doubt  his  loyalty  to  the  South. 
No  hero  that  wore  the  gray  deserves  more  honor  and  thanks  than 
this  gallant  Southern  hero,  who,  like  Lee,  Jackson,  Johnston, 
and  a  long  list  of  other  loyal  Southern  sons  resigned  a  position 
of  prominence  in  the  army  of  the  United  States  and  cast  his 
fortunes  with  his  Southern  brethren  in  defense  of  Southern 
rights,  homes,  and  firesides,  and  many  of  whom  died  for 
Southern  honor.  Sleep  on,  noble  and  illustrious  soldier  and 
patriot!  Thy  good  name  and  record  as  a  soldier  is  safe  from 
the  attacks  of  politicians,  rivals,  and  so-called  Daughters  of  the 
Confederacy  of  Savannah ! 

(Houston,  Texas,  Chronicle.) 
"  He  was  superior  to  human  vanity  or  ambition." 

It  should  not  be  forgotten  that  when  the  war  began  General 
Longstreet,  like  General  Lee  and  many  others  of  the  South's 

illustrious  leaders,  was  an  officer  in  the  army  of  the  United 

233 


APPENDIX 

States.  Had  he  adhered  to  the  Union,  high  command  awaited 
him ;  the  siren  voice  of  ambition  whispered  to  him  of  a  splendid 
future  of  fame  and  honor  and  rich  reward,  while  he  knew  more 
doubtful  was  the  issue  if  he  heeded  the  call  of  duty  and  offered 
his  sword  to  the  South.  Yet  he  did  not  hesitate.  To  his  mother's 
cry  he  responded  like  the  faithful  son  and  hero  that  he  was, 
and  proved  superior  to  human  vanity  or  ambition. 

This  being  true,  it  is  but  fair  to  presume  that  whatever  step 
he  took  afterwards  was  inspired  by  the  high  sense  of  duty,  and 
that  he  took  it  only  after  having  taken  counsel  with  his  con 
science  and  with  due  regard  for  the  requirements  of  patriotism 
and  honor. 

In  every  position  in  civil  life,  many  and  responsible  as  they 
were,  he  bore  himself  with  ability,  dignity,  efficiency,  and  with 
stainless  honor;  there  was  never  a  spot  upon  his  official  record, 
but  the  civilian,  as  was  the  soldier,  was  without  reproach. 

If  any  man  or  woman  doubts  or  calls  in  question  the  record 
of  James  Longstreet  as  a  soldier,  let  him  or  her  ask  the  veteran 
Southern  soldier  who  followed  him  (and  there  are  a  number 
in  Houston)  what  they  think  of  him,  and  with  one  voice  they 
will  say,  "  He  was  Lee's  '  war-horse.'  When  we  heard  Long- 
street  was  in  the  lead  or  in  command,  or  was  coming,  we  knew 
that  victory  would  follow  the  fighting;  we  trusted  him;  Lee 
trusted  him;  the  army  trusted  him." 

"  Where  beyond  these  voices  there  is  peace,"  the  old  hero  is 
at  rest.  Little  it  recks  whether  men  praise  or  blame  him  now — 
"  The  peace  of  God  which  passeth  all  understanding"  is  upon 
him,  and  history  will  write  him  down  as  he  was,  a  brave,  able, 
faithful  soldier,  who  so  loved  his  native  land  as  to  pour  out  his 
heroic  blood  in  its  defence.  Than  this  he  asks  no  higher  praise. 

(Atlanta,  Georgia,  Constitution.) 
"  Truth  will  take  hold  upon  the  pen  of  history." 

A  great  soldier,  in  the  ripeness  of  years  and  yet  enduring  to 
the  latest  breath  the  pangs  of  the  wounds  of  four  decades  ago, 
has  fallen  upon  earth's  final  sleep. 

In  the  brave  days  of  his  earlier  soldiership,  and  then  in  the 

strenuous  years  of  one  of  the  world's  most  tragic  wars,  wherein 

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TRIBUTES  FROM  THE  PRESS 

his  genius  lifted  him  to  the  next  highest  rank  of  generalship, 
General  James  Longstreet  was  a  conspicuous  figure  and  always 
a  force  to  be  reckoned  with.  The  finest  and  justest  military 
critics  of  America  and  Europe  have  pronounced  him  a  com 
mander  in  whom  were  combined  those  abilities  of  initiative, 
strategy,  and  persistent  daring  that  make  the  historic  general 
of  any  age  or  people. 

While  to  others  who  were  concerned  in  the  great  campaigns 
and  battles  of  which  he  was  a  distinguished  factor  there  may 
have  appeared  in  his  acts  some  incidents  for  criticism,  yet  to  his 
immediate  officers  and  men  he  was  ever  the  ideal  soldier  and  the 
peerless  commander.  But  in  the  presence  of  his  shrouded  frame, 
in  the  revived  memories  of  his  loyalty  and  his  heroism,  and  in  the 
knowledge  that  the  seeming  errors  of  men  in  pivotal  crises  are 
often  the  misunderstood  interferences  of  the  Supreme  Ruler, 
judgments  cease  and  reverence,  gratitude,  and  honor  form  the 
threnody  at  the  tomb. 

The  war  record  of  General  Longstreet  will  always  remain  a 
theme  of  laudation  by  the  sons  of  Southerners.  For  the  reward 
of  it  thousands  refused  to  sanction  the  rebukes  his  subsequent 
career  sometimes  engendered  among  his  compatriots.  Who  that 
witnessed  it  can  forget  the  embrace  given  Longstreet  by  ex- 
President  Davis  here  in  Atlanta  and  the  tremendous  ovation 
that  greeted  the  old  hero  in  his  veteran  gray  uniform  as  he 
joined  in  the  gala-day  made  in  honor  of  his  disfranchised  chief? 

General  Longstreet's  taking  of  office  under  President  Grant 
has  been  always  a  misunderstood  transaction.  It  was  not  a 
surrender  of  his  Southern  sentiments  or  an  act  of  disloyalty  to 
the  Southern  people.  At  the  time  when  General  Grant,  feeling 
the  impulses  of  former  comradeship,  tendered  an  office  and  its 
emoluments  to  General  Longstreet,  whose  fortunes  were  in  sore 
straits,  the  old  soldier  refused  to  consider  acceptance  of  the 
offer  until  urged  to  it  by  his  later  fellow-soldiers  in  New  Orleans, 
including  Generals  Hood,  Beauregard,  Harry  Hayes,  Ogden, 
and  even  Jefferson  Davis  himself.  He  accepted  it  in  the  belief 
that  it  was  his  duty  to  take  any  occasion  for  public  service  that 
otherwise  would  be  held  in  the  hands  of  alien  carpet-baggers 
and  haters  of  the  Southern  people.  But  the  occasion  was  too 
soon — the  passions  of  the  people  yet  too  inflamed.  Without 

235 


APPENDIX 

full  knowledge  of  the  inwardness  of  his  conduct  the  people  whom 
he  loved  heaped  upon  him  a  penetrating  scorn  and  livid  coals 
of  indignation.  He  was  too  brave  to  complain ;  too  considerate 
to  expose  his  advisers,  and  his  heroism  was  never  more  chivalrous 
than  the  long  patience  with  which  until  now  he  has  endured 
the  mis  judgments  of  his  Southern  fellow-men. 

But  these  things  are  naught  now  to  the  flown  spirit.  Here 
after  truth  will  take  hold  upon  the  pen  of  history  and  rewrite 
much  that  has  been  miswritten  of  this  great  son  of  the  South. 
His  stainless  integrity,  his  devotion  to  the  cause  of  his  militant 
people,  his  incomparable  bravery  in  battle,  his  superb  general 
ship  on  campaign,  and  his  later  chivalry  in  the  calm  conduct  of 
his  citizenship  and  public  service  remain  as  wholesome  memories 
of  a  world-acclaimed  Southern  hero. 

(St.  Paul,  Minnesota,  Pioneer  Press.) 
"  Ostracised  by  men  who  did  no  fighting." 

The  pestiferous  pertinacity  with  which  certain  women  of  the 
South  seize  every  opportunity  to  fan  the  embers  of  a  dying  sec 
tional  animosity,  and  to  blazon  their  adherence  to  the  princi 
ples  of  the  "  Lost  Cause,"  is  again  illustrated  in  the  refusal  of 
the  Savannah  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy  to  send  a  wreath 
to  be  laid  on  General  Longstreet's  grave.  Next  to  Robert  E. 
Lee,  Longstreet  had  the  reputation  of  being  the  ablest  of  the 
officers  who  fought  on  the  Southern  side  in  the  Great  Rebellion. 
But  at  the  close  of  the  war,  satisfied  that  the  Lost  Cause  was 
lost  forever,  and  that  it  was  useless  to  attempt  to  keep  alive  a 
spirit  of  revenge, — heart- won,  too,  by  the  splendid  generosity 
of  Grant  in  his  dealings  with  the  defeated  army  of  Lee, — he 
"  accepted  the  situation ;"  accepted,  too,  from  the  Republican 
soldier-president  the  office  of  surveyor  of  the  port  of  New  Or 
leans,  and  addressed  all  his  powers  to  the  work  of  healing  the 
wounds  of  war  and  of  reuniting  the  sections.  For  this  he  was 
ostracised  by  the  ultra  element  of  Southern  irreconcilables — an 
element  made  up  principally  of  women  and  of  men  who  did  no 
fighting,  and  which  nurses  its  bitterness  with  the  unsatisfied 
spirit  of  the  child  who,  not  having  finished  his  cry  yesterday, 
inquires  to-day,  "  What  was  I  crying  about?"  in  order  that  he 

236 


TRIBUTES  FROM  THE  PRESS 

may  indulge  in  the  luxury  of  tears  once  more.  The  men  who 
fought  under  and  with  Longstreet  honor  his  later  loyalty  to  the 
Union  as  much  as  they  do  his  steadfast  courage  and  ability  under 
the  "  Stars  and  Bars"  in  the  bloody  sixties.  The  women  who 
refuse  his  bier  a  tribute  dishonor  only  themselves. 

(Atlanta,  Georgia,  Journal.) 
"  One  of  the  most  gallant  spirits  of  the  century." 

With  the  death  of  General  James  Longstreet,  who  was  the 
first  ranking  general  of  the  Confederate  army,  passes  one  of 
the  most  gallant  spirits  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

Of  all  the  men  who  fought  with  conspicuous  valor  and  prowess 
for  the  Confederate  cause,  there  was  none  who  possessed  more 
leonine  courage  or  inspired  in  his  men  a  greater  degree  of  enthu 
siastic  affection  than  this  chieftain  whom  Lee  dubbed  with  the 
title  of  "  My  Old  War-Horse"  on  the  battle-field.  That  remark 
of  Lee's  was  like  the  touch  of  an  accolade  upon  his  shoulders, 
and  no  subsequent  misunderstandings  or  criticisms  have  ever 
been  able  to  rob  him  of  the  place  among  the  chivalrous  souls  of 
the  South  to  which  he  was  elevated  by  their  irreproachable  King 
Arthur,  General  Lee. 

And,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  most  choice  and  master 
military  spirits  of  his  age  esteemed  him  to  possess  tactical 
ability  and  military  judgment  equal  in  degree  to  his  undisputed 
qualities  of  persistent  bravery,  such  criticisms  as  there  were  are 
scarcely  worthy  of  mention  and  demand  no  refutation  now  in 
any  backward  glance  at  his  brilliant  career.  The  South  can 
point  to  his  record  with  pride,  as  his  military  associates  have 
ever  pointed  to  the  man  himself  with  a  quick  and  affectionate 
appreciation.  No  note  of  apology  should  mingle  with  the 
praise  and  grief  of  those  who  look  to-day  with  tear-blurred  eyes 
upon  the  soldier's  bier. 

And  the  memory  of  his  actions  on  the  boisterous  stage  of 
battle  and  of  the  single-hearted,  loyal  role  he  played  through 
all  the  shifting  scenes  of  that  greatest  war-drama  of  the  cen 
tury  should  in  itself  constitute  a  rebuke  to  those  who  have  sought 
to  rebuke  him  for  certain  generally  misunderstood  actions  in 

his  subsequent  career.    He  became  an  office-holder  under  General 

237 


APPENDIX 

Grant,  a  very,  very  human  thing  to  do.  It  was  a  very,  very 
natural  thing  that  General  Grant,  who  had  married  the  cousin 
of  the  "  Old  War-Horse,"  and  who  was,  besides,  actuated  by  the 
spirit  of  a  remembered,  youthful  comradeship,  should  give  his 
friend,  comrade,  and  relative  an  office  when  Longstreet  was 
walking  along  thorny  financial  paths.  And  his  acceptance, 
urged  as  he  was  to  accept  by  his  Confederate  comrades,  was, 
under  the  circumstances,  very  human  and  very  natural.  He 
made  a  good  public  servant — where  could  Grant  have  found  a 
better  in  those  reconstruction  days,  which  were  not  noted  for  the 
excellence  of  their  public  servants?  Where  could  Longstreet 
have  better  served  his  own  people  than  by  taking  an  office  which 
might  otherwise  have  been  given  to  men  who  were  still  so  in 
flamed  by  partisan  prejudice  as  to  hate  those  people?  His 
motives  were  of  the  highest  in  this  acceptance,  and  his  attitude 
of  silently  bearing  the  remarks  of  those  who  criticised  him 
under  a  misapprehension  stamps  his  moral  courage  with  the 
golden  seal  of  a  serene  nobility. 

He  was  misjudged,  but  he  happily  lived  to  see  most  of  those 
who  misjudged  him  silenced  by  an  exposition  of  facts  which  he 
was  too  proud  to  set  forth  himself. 

The  debtor  years  have  rendered  back  to  him  the  refined  coin 
of  a  fixed  fame  for  his  life  labor.  He  is  dead,  and  his  place — a 
high  one  in  the  world's  history — is  enduring. 

(Newport,  Virginia,  News.) 
"  The  bravest  of  the  brave." 

The  Savannah  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy,  whose  custom 
it  is  to  send  a  laurel  wreath  for  the  tomb  of  deceased  Confeder 
ates,  refused  to  send  one  upon  the  death  of  General  Longstreet 
a  few  days  ago. 

The  Daughters  at  Savannah  have,  we  suppose,  satisfactorily 
to  themselves,  settled  the  mooted  question  of  the  Gettysburg 
controversy,  but  we  do  not  believe  their  action  will  find  applause 
generally  among  the  ex-Confederate  soldiers.  Whatever  may 
have  been  the  fact  at  Gettysburg,  it  is  beyond  dispute  that  his 
actions  there  did  not  estrange  his  loyal  soldiers,  nor  impair  the 
esteem  in  which  he  was  held  by  General  Lee.  The  close  of  the 

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TRIBUTES  FROM  THE  PRESS 

war  found  him  in  command  of  the  left  wing  of  the  army,  and 
he  joined  General  Lee  on  the  way  to  Appomattox.  In  referring 
to  his  death  the  Richmond  Times-Dispatch  says, — 

"  We  recall  General  Longstreet  as  one  of  the  bravest  of  the  brave,  one 
who  struck  many  blows  for  the  Confederacy,  and  one  on  whom  General 
Lee  often  leaned  and  whose  name  is  identified  with  world-famous  battles. 
These  are  things  we  cannot  forget,  nor  do  we  wish  to." 

Whatever  may  be  said  of  the  attitude  of  the  South  since  the 
war  towards  General  Longstreet,  the  fact  remains  that  his 
espousal  of  the  Republican  cause  in  politics  did  most  to  invite 
criticism,  and  this  he  always  felt  was  unjust  to  him. 

It  seems  strange  that  General  John  B.  Gordon  should  have  so 
bitterly  attacked  General  Longstreet,  and  it  is  charity  to  say 
that  he  did  it  from  political  reasons,  and  not  by  way  of  chal 
lenging  war  records. 

With  his  fresh  grave  denied  its  laurel  wreath  at  the  hands 
of  the  Savannah  Daughters,  and  his  lifeless  lips  beyond  reply 
to  carping  critics,  it  is  refreshing  to  see  that  the  loyal  wife,  who 
walked  with  him  in  the  evening  of  life,  brings  her  own  wreath 
of  the  roses  of  love,  dewy  with  her  tears,  and  places  it  upon 
the  grave  that  holds  his  valiant  dust. 

(Birmingham,  Alabama,  Ledger.) 

"  In  the  military  annals  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  race  there  is  nothing  finer 
than  his  fighting  record." 

The  author  of  the  article  on  Longstreet,  which  recently  ap 
peared  in  the  Ledger  and  which  we  republish  below,  has  been 
a  close  student  of  military  history,  and  was  personally  obser 
vant  of  great  movements  in  Virginia  during  the  war: 

"  Men  of  Southern  blood  who  recall  the  days  when  the  civilized  world 
was  thrilled  with  the  renown  of  those  great  Confederate  captains,  '  Lee, 
Longstreet,  and  Jackson,'  can  scarcely  realize  that  the  grave  has  just 
closed  over  all  that  is  mortal  of  the  stoutest,  the  steadiest,  the  most  practical, 
pushing,  resolute,  and  stolidly  unimaginative  fighter  of  that  goodly  and 
immortal  group.  In  the  military  annals  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  race  there  is 
nothing  finer  than  the  fighting  record  of  this  Old  Lion  of  the  South.  It 
does  not  need  the  formal  observances  of  official  commemoration  to  per 
petuate  the  memory  of  a  man  who  led  the  stanch  legions  of  the  Con 
federacy  in  victorious  fellowship  with  Jackson  and  Lee.  Tradition  alone 

239 


APPENDIX 

will  uplift  and  applaud  his  name  long  after  monuments  have  crumbled  and 
Camps  and  Chapters  have  ceased  to  exist.  None  knew  better  than  the 
great  Virginian  leader  that  the  neck  of  the  '  Old  War-Horse'  was  always 
clothed  with  thunder  when  the  shock  of  battle  came.  Lee  never  dreamed 
that  Longstreet  was  faithless. 

"Every  American  who  is  proud  of  our  common  race  must  deplore 
the  openly  manifest  disposition  of  Southern  veterans  and  sons  of  veterans 
to  discredit  for  all  time  the  great  historic  soldiers  of  the  South.  It  needs 
not  the  perspicacity  of  a  Verulam  to  inform  us  that  the  highest  virtues 
are  not  visible  to  the  common  eye.  The  disposition  to  suspect  and  be 
smirch  a  glorious  soldier — a  man  whose  leadership  immortalized  the  armies 
that  he  led — not  only  betokens  a  radical  change  in  popular  ideals,  but 
apparently  marks  the  decadence  of  that  traditional  sentiment  of  chivalry 
which  is  truly  'the  unbought  grace  of  life,'  and  that  generous  martial 
spirit  which  for  generations  has  characterized  the  great  Southern  branch 
of  the  Anglo-American  race. 

"  The  humblest  citizen  of  this  republic  has  an  inalienable  interest  in  the 
heroic  memories  of  the  South.  Let  the  Dead  Lion  sleep  in  peace.  Noth 
ing  is  alien  to  the  true  American  heart  that  in  the  least  degree  concerns 
the  glory  of  the  Old  South  or  the  interest  of  the  New.  It  is  precisely  this 
sentiment  that  was  expressed  in  the  fine  chivalry  of  Grant  at  Appomattox 
and  won  for  that  iron  conqueror  the  lasting  affection  and  respect  of  the 
men  that  he  had  fought.  The  heroic  Longstreet  needs  no  higher  eulogy 
than  the  single  phrase,  He  was  the  friend  of  Grant  and  Lee." 

(Macon,  Georgia,  Telegraph.) 
"  No  reproach  can  be  cast  upon  his  bravery  and  devotion." 

The  Savannah  Chapter  of  the  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy 
has  made  itself  ridiculous  by  throwing  a  brick  at  the  dead  lion 
at  Gainesville! 

It  seems  a  pity  that  the  enterprising  news  gatherers  in  the 
Forest  City  should  have  given  out  to  the  public  the  silly  action 
of  these  young  women.  Their  offence  was  a  resolution  "  re 
fusing"  to  send  a  wreath  to  lay  upon  the  grave  of  General 
Longstreet  "  because  he  disobeyed  orders  at  Gettysburg." 

The  causes  for  the  drawn  battle  at  the  critical  point  in  the 
history  of  the  struggle  of  the  '60's  will  be  debated  while  time 
lasts.  So  will  the  causes  for  the  defeat  of  Napoleon  at  Waterloo. 
This  debate  has  been  and  will  be  participated  in  by  the  great 
commanders  of  the  world.  But  no  reproach  has  been,  can,  or 
will  be  cast  upon  the  bravery  or  devotion  of  the  famous  old 
fighter  whose  courage  knew  no  abatement  in  the  hundreds  of 
engagements  participated  in  during  the  trying  experiences  of 

three  wars.     Alexander  and  Csesar  and  Napoleon  and  Grant 

240 


TRIBUTES  FROM  THE  PRESS 

and  Lee  made  their  mistakes.  So  did  Longstreet.  But  how  does 
it  seem  for  a  bevy  of  young  women  to  pounce  upon  the  cold 
remains  of  this  battle-scarred  veteran  and  hero  lying  in  state 
and  attempt  to  punish  him  for  an  alleged  mistake  made  forty 
years  ago  in  the  midst  of  the  roar  and  clash  of  the  greatest 
battle  in  history !  Their  mothers  knew  better. 

We  are  not  surprised  that  veterans  in  Savannah  feel  ag 
grieved,  as  they  must  feel  everywhere  that  the  action  is  known. 

General  Gordon  believes  that  Longstreet  made  a  mistake  at 
Gettysburg,  but  Lee  said,  "  It  is  all  my  fault."  The  great 
chieftain  in  command  made  no  charge  against  his  great  fighting 
arm.  Touching  this  controversy,  Colonel  McBride,  writing  to 
the  Atlanta  Constitution,  says,  "  Longstreet,  although  a  pru 
dent  and  cautious  fighter,  was  not  only  always  ready  to  fight, 
but  he  was  always  anxious  and  wanted  to  fight.  On  the  second 
day  he  was  not  slow,  but  was  simply  putting  himself  in  shape 
to  do  the  bloodiest  fight  of  the  war.  At  least  two-thirds  of  the 
casualties  in  America's  greatest  battle  happened  in  front  of 
Longstreet's  corps.  Reports  show  this.  The  records  also  show 
that  he  only  obeyed  Lee's  orders  to  the  letter." 

Grant,  however,  that  Longstreet  made  a  costly  mistake,  there 
are  times  other  than  those  at  the  grave  to  discuss  them;  there 
are  persons  other  than  young  women  unborn  in  those  days  to 
administer  rebuke  or  punishment. 

If  these  young  women  who  sit  in  judgment  at  the  tomb  could 
not  lay  a  flower  on  the  new-made  grave  of  an  old  war-horse  of 
the  Confederacy,  it  seems  as  if  they  might  have  restrained  their 
tongues  while  the  muffled  drum  passing  by  rolled  its  last  tattoo. 

(New  York  Journal.) 

"  After  a  while  Southern  capitals  will  be  adorned  with  statues  of  Long- 
street  ;  upon  his  grave  '  his  f oeman's  children  will  loose  the  rose.' " 

At  the  age  of  eighty-three  General  Longstreet  has  passed 
away — a  noble  character,  a  good  soldier,  one  of  the  hardest 
fighters  of  the  Civil  War.  General  Longstreet  was  pretty  badly 
treated  by  the  people  whose  battles  he  fought  with  so  great 
courage  and  capacity.  He  was  no  politician — just  a  soldier, 

and  at  the  close  of  the  war  committed  the  error  of  "  frater- 
16  241 


APPENDIX 

nizing"  with  all  his  countrymen.  He  "  accepted  the  situation," 
not  wisely,  but  too  early.  With  a  fine  and  generous  unwisdom 
he  laid  away  the  animosities  of  the  war-time  and  put  himself 
at  once  where  all  stand  now, — on  the  broad,  high  ground  of 
American  citizenship.  No  part  had  he  in  the  provincial  conceit 
of  the  thing  that  has  the  immodesty  to  call  itself  a  "  Southern 
gentleman."  It  probably  never  occurred  to  him  that  the  quali 
ties  distinguishing  a  gentleman  from  a  pirate  of  the  Spanish 
Main  had  so  narrow  a  geographical  distribution  as  the  term 
implies.  He  paid  for  his  breadth  of  mind — became  a  kind  of 
social  outlaw  and  political  excommunicant  in  "  the  land  once 
proud  of  him."  Briefly,  his  shipmates  marooned  him.  Well, 
he  has  escaped — he  has  "  beaten  the  game,"  as,  sooner  or  later, 
we  all  conquer  without  exertion.  After  a  while  Southern  capi 
tals  will  be  adorned  with  statues  of  Longstreet  and  upon  his 
grave  posterity  will  see  "  his  foemen's  children  loose  the  rose." 

(New  York  Tribune.) 
Lee  and  Longstreet. 

The  death  of  General  James  Longstreet,  as  was  to  be  ex 
pected,  has  revived  to  some  extent  the  controversies  which  have 
raged  over  certain  memorable  incidents  in  his  military  career. 
For  the  last  twenty-five  years  persistent  efforts  have  been  made 
to  throw  on  General  Longstreet's  shoulders  responsibility  for 
Lee's  defeat  at  Gettysburg.  Not  a  few  Southern  writers  have 
gone  so  far  as  to  accuse  him,  if  not  of  insubordination,  at  least 
of  culpable  inattention  to  orders  given  him  by  the  Confederate 
commander-in-chief.  General  John  B.  Gordon,  in  his  recently 
published  reminiscences,  revived  and  amplified  these  charges 
against  Longstreet,  stating  explicitly — as  his  own  conclusion 
and  as  that  of  impartial  military  critics  generally — that  Long- 
street's  blunders  had  blasted  Confederate  hopes  at  Gettysburg, 
and  that  General  Lee  "  died  believing  he  had  lost  by  Long- 
street's  disobedience."  Strangely  enough,  General  Longstreet's 
wife  had  prepared  an  elaborate  refutation  of  General  Gordon's 
theories,  and  had  arranged  for  its  publication  on  January  3— 
the  day  following  General  Longstreet's  death. 

We  do  not  think  that  history  will  sustain  the  contentions  of 

242 


TRIBUTES  FROM  THE  PRESS 

General  Longstreet's  critics.  They  are  interesting  enough  as 
post-mortem  demonstrations  of  what  might  have  been.  But  they 
ignore  actual  conditions.  They  picture  a  situation  which  could 
have  existed  only  as  a  military  after-thought.  General  Long- 
street  cannot  be  made  a  scapegoat  for  all  the  sins  of  hesitation 
or  omission  chargeable  to  Confederate  commanders  at  Gettys 
burg.  General  Gordon  is  himself  disposed  to  censure  General 
Lee  for  not  vigorously  attacking  the  Federal  forces  in  their 
new  position  on  the  evening  of  July  1.  He  condemns  utterly 
Longstreet's  failure  to  assault  the  Federal  left  wing  early  in  the 
morning  of  July  2.  But  he  waves  aside  entirely  the  exhaustion 
of  A.  P.  Hill's  corps  at  the  conclusion  of  the  first  day's  battle 
and  the  physical  impediments  to  forming  and  executing  an 
attack  on  the  Federal  left  wing  before  noon  of  July  2.  That 
Longstreet's  assault  suffered  in  effectiveness  from  the  delays 
of  July  2  is  greatly  to  be  doubted.  The  fighting  done  by  his 
corps  far  excelled  in  dash  and  brilliance  anything  done  at  Gettys 
burg  by  Ewell's  corps  or  A.  P.  Hill's.  Longstreet  bore  the 
brunt  of  both  the  second  and  third  day's  struggle  and  emerged 
from  the  conflict  with  his  reputation  as  a  corps  commander  un 
impaired.  There  is  no  reason  to  think  that  he  could  have  fought 
more  brilliantly  or  more  successfully  if  he  had  attempted  the 
attack  which  General  Gordon  philosophizes  about  in  the  early 
morning  of  the  second  day. 

General  Lee  at  the  close  of  the  battle  justly  and  honorably 
assumed  entire  responsibility  for  the  Confederate  defeat.  Lee 
lost  at  Gettysburg  because  on  the  offensive  he  seemed  incapable 
of  rising  to  the  full  height  of  his  military  talent.  His  general 
ship  in  his  two  brief  invasions  of  Northern  territory  was  com 
monplace. 

In  Lee's  own  lifetime  not  a  word  of  criticism  was  aimed  at 
Longstreet.  It  is  needless  to  inquire  what  influences  have  con 
spired  to  foist  on  him  the  blame  for  the  Confederate  failure  at 
Gettysburg.  Another  generation  of  Southern  writers  will  do 
him  more  impartial  justice.  He  will  certainly  be  classed  here 
after  by  open-minded  critics  as  one  of  the  ablest  and  most  in 
telligent  of  the  commanders  who  fought  under  the  South's  flag 
in  the  Civil  War. 

243 


APPENDIX 

"  No  Southern  man  suffered  more  or  deserved  it  less." 

The  death  of  General  Longstreet  removes  from  the  world's 
stage  of  action  one  who  in  time  of  war  had  his  name  and  his 
deeds  sounded  by  the  trumpet  of  fame  throughout  the  civilized 
world.  He  was  a  conspicuous  figure  in  the  eyes  of  the  world, 
and  his  name  was  at  one  time  familiar  to  and  honored  in  every 
Confederate  household.  He  was  Lee's  Rock  of  Gibraltar  that 
never  failed  to  stem  the  tides  of  assault,  and  when  he  led,  in 
his  turn,  the  attack,  he  was  a  thunder-bolt  of  war  that  never 
failed  to  strike  with  terrible  effect.  In  council  he  was  calm  and 
calculated  well  and  closely  all  the  chances  of  conflict,  in  scales 
well  balanced,  and,  as  a  rule,  with  almost  unerring  exactness. 

He  was  essentially  a  soldier,  whose  education,  training,  and 
services  for  a  generation  in  years  made  his  enforced  change 
to  civil  life  practically  the  adoption  of  a  new  life  at  total 
variance  to  that  in  which  he  has  always  been  a  conspicuous  and  a 
noted  figure.  His  was  a  lovable  nature,  loyal  to  principle  and 
to  truth,  and  when  his  confidence  was  secured  his  trust  was  sure 
to  follow. 

That  trait  in  his  character  was  the  cause  of  the  ban  under 
which  he  suffered  for  such  a  long  period  from  the  Southern 
people,  and,  as  many  an  old  Confederate  veteran  will  now  say, 
with  such  injustice. 

At  the  time  the  storm  of  ostracism  first  burst  in  fury  over 
his  head  I  was  an  official  of  the  State  of  Mississippi  and  resided 
at  Jackson,  the  State  capital,  and  I  was  then,  as  I  am  now, 
familiar  with  the  cause  of  the  outbreak  of  public  sentiment 
against  him.  Let  me  explain  that  there  had  been  on  the  part 
of  the  Southern  people  a  practical  nullification  of  the  Federal 
laws  regarding  the  negro  and  his  rights  so  recently  conferred, 
and  it  was  hard  for  Southern  people  to  swallow  the  doctrine  of 
equality  in  anything  where  the  negro  was  concerned. 

The  entire  South  was  in  a  tempestuous  turmoil  that  threat 
ened  the  very  foundations  of  society,  by  rising  like  the  storm- 
tossed  waves  of  tempestuous  seas  and  sweeping  away  the  barriers 
that  had  been  erected  against  the  domination  of  the  Southern 
whites.  At  this  juncture  prominent  and  influential  leaders  of 
public  thought,  who  saw  the  coming  storm,  at  a  conference  held 

244 


TRIBUTES  FROM  THE  PRESS 

in  New  Orleans  explained  the  situation  to  certain  popular  and 
influential  ex-Confederate  generals  then  residents  of  that  city, 
and  represented  to  them  that  an  appeal  by  them  to  their  old 
soldiers  to  accept  the  situation,  obey  the  Federal  laws,  and  main 
tain  peace  and  order  would  result  in  great  good  and  assist  in 
allaying  the  suppressed,  indeed  often  open,  excitement  of  the 
people.  They  were  appealed  to  as  patriots  to  come  to  the 
rescue  of  their  people  and  lead  them  in  peace  as  they  had  in 
war. 

The  text  of  a  letter  to  be  written  by  each  was  then  outlined, 
and  at  a  second  conference  each  submitted  his  letter.  The  sub 
stance  of  all  the  letters  was  identical,  each  with  the  others. 
They  were  published  in  the  New  Orleans  papers  simultaneously 
to  insure  the  object  in  view,  the  influencing  of  public  opinion. 
Their  publication  aroused  a  storm  of  reproach  and  denuncia 
tion  that  was  without  measure. 

Instead  of  acting  like  oil  on  the  troubled  waters,  they  pro 
voked  the  fury  of  the  tempest,  and  the  authors  of  the  letters 
were  overwhelmed  with  letters  of  protest  and  reproach. 

Explanation  after  explanation  by  the  authors  (save  General 
Longstreet)  that  amounted  to  public  retraction,  followed. 
Longstreet,  firm  as  the  rock  of  Gibraltar,  bared  his  breast  to 
the  storm  and  proudly  declared  that  he  had  nothing  to  retract. 
He  explained  the  circumstances  under  which  he  had  written  the 
letter,  cited  its  approval  by  leaders  of  public  thought,  and  de 
clared  that  the  sentiment  of  the  letter  but  expressed  his  honest 
convictions,  and  he  stood  by  it.  Every  old  veteran  of  Long- 
street's  corps  who  reads  this  will  say,  "  That's  just  like  old 
Pete."  He  could  have  saved  his  popularity  had  he  sacrificed 
principle.  But  like  the  noble  Roman  that  he  was,  he  could,  in 
weighing  one  against  the  other,  defiantly  proclaim 

"  These  walls,  these  columns  fly 
From  their  firm  base  as  soon  as  I." 

I  was  among  the  few  who  saw  nothing  then  in  any  of  the 
letters  to  merit  the  disapproval  of  the  Southern  people;  and 
looking  through  "  the  vista  of  time"  back  to  those  days,  I  can 
say  in  all  candor  and  sincerity  that  had  the  seed  of  Longstreet's 

advice  fallen  in  ground  ripe  for  it,  reconstruction  would  have 

245 


APPENDIX 

been  shorn  of  many  of  the  evils  that  accompanied  it  and  blighted 
the  land.  Some  time  after  these  occurrences  General  Longstreet 
made  a  trip  through  territory  in  Mississippi  from  which  his 
mercantile  firm  derived  much  business.  One  day  Governor 
Humphreys  said  to  me,  "  General  Longstreet  is  coming  this 
way.  If  he  comes  here,  what  would  you  do?"  Instantly  I  re 
plied,  "  I  would  not  wait  for  him  to  come,  but  I  would  insist  on 
his  coming,  and  tell  him  that  he  would  be  welcomed  at  the 
governor's  mansion."  He  directed  me  to  write  the  invitation, 
saying,  "  I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  so  act,  for  nothing  could 
make  me  turn  my  back  on  '  old  Pete.'  I  served  under  him  too 
long  to  do  that."  He  accepted  the  invitation  and  was  the  guest 
of  the  governor.  In  honoring  him  the  governor  set  an  ex 
ample  that  the  whole  town  followed,  and  the  period  of  his  stay 
was  almost  a  constant  levee.  On  me  was  placed  the  special  and 
agreeable  duty  of  attendance  upon  him.  I  was  with  him  much 
of  the  time  and  participated  in  conversations  in  which  the  letter 
that  brought  to  him  only  woe  was  discussed.  Never  did  a  bitter 
word  pass  his  lips  in  denunciation  of  those  who  led  him  to  the 
slaughter  and  themselves  stepped  aside  and  raised  no  hand  to 
help  him.  He  declared  that  the  letter  expressed  his  true  senti 
ments,  and  that  it  was  written  after  deliberate  thought.  It 
proved  to  be  unfortunate,  and  though  he  was  then  reaping  only 
thorns  from  it,  time  would  vindicate  him  and  his  course.  He 
bore  his  fate  like  an  ancient  Stoic.  I  count  my  association  with 
him  at  this  time  as  among  the  most  pleasant  of  a  checkered  life. 
I  never  saw  him  again. 

General  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  of  whose  staff  I  was  a  member, 
told  me  with  his  own  lips  that  the  plan  by  which  the  army  of 
Stonewall  Jackson  was  withdrawn  from  the  valley  and  hurled 
on  the  flank  of  McClellan  was  first  suggested  to  him  by  Long- 
street.  He  said  that  the  idea  had  occurred  to  him,  but  at  a  time 
when  it  was  not  feasible.  But  just  previous  to  the  battle  of 
Seven  Pines,  Longstreet  submitted  a  plan  that  he  had  matured, 
that  met  his  favor  and  determined  him  to  adopt  it.  At  the 
battle  that  almost  immediately  occurred  he  was  incapacitated 
by  wounds  and  General  Lee  assumed  command.  Shortly  after, 
Jackson's  force  was  transferred  from  the  valley  and  hurled  on 
the  Federal  flank.  We  know  with  what  result.  The  plan  was 

246 


TRIBUTES  FROM  THE  PRESS 

communicated  to  General  Lee  shortly  after  his  accession  to 
command.  The  plan  which  General  Lee  adopted  may  have  been 
his  own,  but  the  idea  first  originated  in  the  soldierly  brain  of 
Longstreet.  Again,  at  the  second  Manassas,  when  Longstreet, 
to  the  rescue  of  Jackson,  debouched  through  "  Thoroughfare 
Gap,"  a  glance  at  the  field  showed  him  Jackson's  peril,  and  his 
masterful,  soldierly  ability  needed  no  general  in  command  to 
direct  him  as  to  the  placing  of  his  battallions.  Like  a  thunder 
bolt  of  war  his  command  struck  the  Federal  army.  Jackson 
was  saved  and  the  victory  was  won.  Space  forbids  further 
prolixity,  while  the  theme  invites  it.  Let  me  say  that  no 
Southern  man  suffered  more  at  the  hands  of  the  Southern  people 
and  deserved  it  less.  I  uncover  my  head  in  honor  to  his  mem 
ory  and  bid  him  "  all  hail  and  farewell !"  Little  cares  he  now 
for  the  plaudits  of  the  world  or  the  censure  of  his  critics.  When 
a  chapter  of  the  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy  refused  a  wreath 
to  his  remains,  Jeff  Davis,  Lee,  Stonewall  Jackson,  the  two 
Johnstons,  and  a  host  of  others  gone  before,  were  giving  him 
brotherly  welcome  in  the  city  of  the  living  God,  and  his  old 
corps  who  have  crossed  the  river  joined  in  shouts  of  welcome 
to  his  knightly  soul.  Let  us  all  feel  that 

"  After  life's  fitful  fever  he  sleeps  well." 

JAS.  M.  KENNARD, 

Ex-Colonel  and  Chief  Ordnance  Officer,  Army  of  Tennessee, 
C.  S.  A. 

(New  Orleans  Picayune,  Special.) 
"  The  Confederates  had  no  better  fighter  than  Longstreet." 

NEW  YORK,  January  4. — "  Longstreet  fought  hard  enough 
to  suit  me — he  gave  me  all  I  wanted.  I  was  perfectly  satisfied 
when  the  second  day's  fight  was  over."  This  was  General 
Sickles's  comment  to-day  at  the  city  hall  with  reference  to  criti 
cism  by  General  John  B.  Gordon,  who  seems  to  think  that  the 
defeat  of  the  Confederates  at  Gettysburg  was  due  to  General 
Longstreet. 

"  Gordon  is  a  gallant  gentleman,  and  he  was  a  gallant 
soldier,"  continued  General  Sickles,  "  but  he  commanded  a 

247 


APPENDIX 

brigade,  while  Longstreet  commanded  a  corps.  Lee  told  Long- 
street  afterwards  that  he  had  done  as  well  as  he  could.  He  had 
no  criticism  to  make.  Gordon  was  in  no  position  to  judge  the 
merits  of  the  case.  Longstreet  was  on  my  front.  I  led  the  Third 
Corps  on  the  second  day.  The  fighting  was  on  Hancock's  front 
on  the  third  day.  He  was  in  the  centre.  I  guess  every  one  who 
was  there  knew  that  Longstreet  fought  brilliantly.  Longstreet 
was  practically  in  command  of  the  Confederate  fighting  on  both 
the  second  and  third  days.  If  Lee  had  been  dissatisfied  on  the 
second  day,  he  would  not  have  let  Longstreet  command  on  the 
third  day.  As  a  matter  of  fact  the  Confederates  had  no  better 
fighter  than  Longstreet." 

(Macon,  Georgia,  Telegraph.) 
"  His  record  needs  no  defence." 

To  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  TELEGRAPH: 

The  able  editorial  in  your  issue  of  several  days  ago  touching 
the  Savannah  incident  in  which  the  Daughters  of  the  Con 
federacy  refused  to  send  flowers  to  the  funeral  of  General  Long- 
street,  assigning  as  the  reason  "  that  General  Longstreet  re 
fused  to  obey  the  order  of  General  Lee  at  Gettysburg,"  met  a 
responsive  chord  in  the  hearts  of  many  old  veterans  of  the  Con 
federate  army. 

Longstreet's  war  record,  like  that  of  Stonewall  Jackson's, 
needs  no  defence.  History  is  replete  with  his  grand  deeds  of 
chivalry,  and  places  his  name  high  in  the  ranks  of  the  great 
commanders  of  the  Civil  War.  The  rank  and  file  who  fought 
under  this  great  and  intrepid  commander  know  that  he  was  in 
capable  of  such  conduct,  and  the  only  tongue  that  could  con 
vince  them  otherwise  was  forever  stilled  when  our  peerless  Lee 
passed  over  the  river. 

In  the  first  battle  of  Manassas,  at  Seven  Pines,  when  he  lead 
the  main  attack,  at  Gaines  Mill,  Frazier's  Farm,  Malvern  Hill, 
and  at  second  Manassas,  when  the  illustrious  Stonewall  Jackson 
was  being  sorely  pressed  by  the  entire  army  of  General  Pope, 
he  hurried  to  Jackson's  relief,  and  together  gained  one  of  the 
greatest  victories  of  the  war.  He  commanded  the  right  wing 
of  our  army  on  the  bloody  field  of  Sharpsburg,  and  was  in  the 

248 


TRIBUTES  FROM  THE  PRESS 

thickest  of  the  fight  during  the  entire  battle.  At  the  battle 
of  Fredericksburg  he  commanded  the  left  wing  of  the  army, 
where  the  assault  proved  most  fatal  to  the  enemy.  In  all  of 
these  battles,  and  others  I  do  not  now  recall,  General  Longstreet 
participated,  winning  fresh  laurels  in  each  fight. 

At  Gettysburg  during  the  second  and  third  days  of  the 
battle  he  commanded  the  right  wing  of  the  army,  and  I  never 
saw  an  officer  more  conspicuous  and  daring  upon  the  battle-field. 
One  of  the  most  lasting  pictures  made  upon  my  mind  during 
the  war,  and  which  still  lingers  in  my  memory,  was  in  connection 
with  this  officer.  While  in  line  of  battle  during  the  terrible 
cannon  duel  between  the  two  armies,  when  at  a  signal  our 
cannons  ceased  firing,  I  saw  General  Longstreet  as  he  motioned 
his  staff  back,  sitting  superbly  in  his  saddle,  gallop  far  out  in 
our  front  in  full  view  and  range  of  more  than  one  hundred  of 
the  enemy's  cannon,  stop  his  horse,  and,  standing  up  in  his 
stirrups,  place  his  field  glasses  to  his  eyes  and  deliberately  and 
for  some  time  view  the  enemy's  line  of  battle,  while  shells  were 
bursting  above  and  around  him  so  thick  that  at  intervals  he 
was  hidden  from  sight  by  the  smoke  from  exploding  shells. 
His  object  having  been  accomplished,  he  turned  his  horse  and 
slowly  galloped  back  to  his  line  of  battle.  No  officer  upon  the 
battle-field  of  Gettysburg  displayed  greater  courage  than  Long- 
street,  and  his  presence  upon  the  battle-field,  like  that  of  Lee 
and  Jackson,  was  always  worth  a  thousand  men. 

General  Lee  trusted  Longstreet  implicitly,  and  every  act  of 
his  from  the  time  he  assumed  command  of  the  Army  of  Northern 
Virginia  to  Appomattox  Court-House  sustains  this  assertion. 
When  President  Davis  requested  General  Lee  to  send  to  the 
relief  of  General  Bragg,  who  was  hard  pressed  by  Sherman,  he 
sent  his  old  "  war-horse,"  and,  true  to  his  mission,  Longstreet 
reached  Chickamauga  in  time  to  turn  the  tide  of  battle  in  favor 
of  the  South.  Afterwards  he  was  ordered  to  drive  the  Federal 
army  under  General  Burnside  from  East  Tennessee,  which  he 
ably  accomplished,  driving  him  behind  his  entrenchment  at 
Knoxville,  Tennessee. 

When  General  Grant  attacked  General  Lee  at  the  Wilderness 
— the  second  battle  in  magnitude  of  the  war — and  by  over 
whelming  numbers  was  driving  our  army  back,  Longstreet  by 

249 


APPENDIX 

forced  marches  reached  the  field  in  time  to  snatch  from  Grant 
a  victory  almost  won.  Here  he  received  a  wound  which  nearly 
cost  him  his  life,  and  which,  perhaps,  saved  Grant's  army  from 
being  driven  into  the  Rappahannock. 

At  Appomattox  Court-House,  "  where  ceased  forever  the 
Southern  soldiers'  hope,"  General  Lee  asked  his  old  war-horse, 
if  the  necessity  should  arise,  to  lead  the  remnant  of  the  army 
out,  and  he  was  ready  to  do  so,  and  would  have  done  so  had  not 
General  Grant  granted  honorable  terms  of  surrender.  Would 
General  Lee  have  trusted  General  Longstreet  after  the  battle  of 
Gettysburg  had  he  been  in  the  least  disloyal  to  his  commands? 
Impartial  history  will  ever  link  the  names  of  Lee,  Jackson,  and 
Longstreet  upon  the  brightest  page  of  the  history  of  the  in 
comparable  Army  of  Northern  Virginia.  One  word  more  about 
Gettysburg.  I  happened  to  be  there  (but  at  the  time  would 
have  liked  to  have  been  elsewhere),  and  I  decided  then  and  am 
still  of  the  opinion  that  the  Yankees  are  to  blame  for  our  defeat. 

Respectfully, 

J.  W.  MATTHEWS. 


(Raleigh,  North  Carolina,  Post.) 
"  The  idol  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia." 

If  the  conduct  of  some  of  our  people  towards  General  Long- 
street,  the  great  soldier,  just  dead,  was  not  pitiful,  it  would  be 
brutal. 

He,  the  stubborn  fighter  of  all  our  armies,  the  trusted  arm 
of  General  Lee,  the  idol  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia, 
dead,  forty  years  after  his  many  battles  and  the  establishment 
of  his  undying  fame,  is  refused  by  some  of  the  daughters  and 
granddaughters  of  the  men  who  fought  and  fell  under  his  ban 
ners,  a  wreath  of  flowers  for  his  grave — a  grave  that  makes  hal 
lowed  the  land  that  holds  it ;  is  refused  a  resolution  of  praise,  by 
the  sons  and  grandsons  of  the  men  who  cheered  his  plume,  as  it 
waved  them  to  victory.  Why  is  this?  A  silly  story  attributed 
to  General  Lee,  published  after  Lee's  death,  by  General  Gordon 
upon  the  authority  of  Fitz.  Lee.  The  story  contained  the 

charge   that   the   faithful   "Old   War-Horse,"   as   General   Lee 

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TRIBUTES  FROM  THE  PRESS 

affectionately  dubbed  him,  failed,  wilfully,  or  from  other  cause, 
to  obey  orders  at  Gettysburg. 

Can  this  story  be  true?  That  depends  upon  two  contingen 
cies,  neither  of  which  the  wildest  of  General  Longstreet's  de- 
famers  have  dared  to  formulate:  first,  that  General  Lee  was 
lacking  in  candor,  or,  secondly,  he  did  not  know  his  best  soldiers. 
Can  either  of  these  propositions  be  true?  A  thousand  times  no. 

We  all,  or  at  least  those  of  us  who  had  the  honor  of  serving  in 
the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  recall  that  in  September,  1863, 
it  became  necessary  to  detach  a  portion  of  that  army  to  send 
west  to  relieve  Bragg,  then  being  driven  south  by  Rosecrans 
from  Chattanooga;  we  also  remember  that,  with  all  of  his  gen 
eral  officers  to  select  from,  including  Gordon  and  Fitz.  Lee, 
General  Lee  selected  General  Longstreet  to  lead  his  immortal 
battalion,  and  the  fame  of  how  well  he  performed  that  proud 
duty  is  still  ringing  in  the  ears  of  all  who  love  honor  and  glory. 

Would  General  Lee  have  selected  General  Longstreet,  mis 
called  by  malice  and  envy  "  the  slow,"  "  the  disobeyer  of  orders," 
"  the  loser  of  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,"  and  so  of  the  Southern 
cause,  if  he  could  have  found  in  all  his  army  one  general  braver 
or  more  competent?  Surely  not.  This  fact  established,  and 
established  it  is  (and  it  also  establishes  General  Lee's  unshaken 
confidence  in  his  "  Old  War-Horse"),  what  becomes  of  the 
improbable  story  of  Fitz.  Lee?  It  is  a  matter  of  common  his 
tory  that  the  fighting  soldiers  of  1861—65  have  been  silent  since. 
This  at  least  is  true  of  the  Southern  soldiers,  and  pity  'tis 
true,  because  our  own  General  R.  F.  Hoke,  fighting  then,  silent 
since,  could  add  rich  chapters  to  the  history  of  those  Titanic 
days,  if  he  would  only  speak. 

With  this  conclusive  evidence  of  General  Lee's  faith  in  Gen 
eral  Longstreet,  how  pitiful  is  the  unearned  slander  that  has 
made  the  reputation  of  so  many  babblers.  Longstreet  a  traitor 
or  imbecile !  Out  upon  it ! 

One  other  equally  conclusive  refutation  of  this  miserable 
story  is:  In  1866  General  Lee,  it  seems,  determined  to  write 
the  story  of  his  campaigns, — "  his  object  to  disseminate  the 
truth"  (would  his  example  had  been  contagious), — at  the  close 
of  an  affectionate  letter  to  General  Longstreet  uses  these  words 

— words   which  General   Longstreet   might   have   claimed   as   a 

251 


APPENDIX 

charter  of  nobility,  had  he  not  already  had  his  glorious  war 
record  to  ennoble  him : 

"  I  had  while  in  Richmond  a  great  many  inquiries  after  you, 
and  learned  you  intended  commencing  business  in  New  Orleans. 
If  you  make  as  good  a  merchant  as  you  were  a  soldier,  I  shall 
be  content.  No  one  will  excel  you,  and  no  one  can  wish  you 
more  success  or  more  happiness  than  I.  My  interest  and  affec 
tion  for  you  will  never  cease,  and  my  prayers  are  always  offered 
for  your  prosperity. 

"  I  am  most  truly  yours, 

"  R.  E.  LEE." 

Does  any  sane  man,  or  silly  woman  either,  believe  the  noble 
heart  that  inspired  these  words  could  have  asked  its  tongue  to 
utter  the  things  of  General  Longstreet  that  have  been  falsely 
attributed  to  it.  Can  argument  be  more  cogent  or  conclusion 
more  conclusive? 

General  Gordon  is,  I  hope,  with  General  Longstreet.  Both 
are  at  rest,  and  I  know  the  "  Old  War-Horse"  of  the  Army 
of  Northern  Virginia,  in  the  presence  of  his  grand  old  chief, 
has  forgiven  his  comrade  the  wrongs  done  him  here.  Peace  to 
the  ashes  of  both,  the  wronged  and  the  wrong-doer. 

W.  H.  DAY, 
Formerly  of  First  N.  C.  Infantry. 

(Washington,  D.  C.,  Star.) 

"  Longstreet  came  out  of  the  war  with  a  record  for  courage  and  loyalty 
second  to  none." 

General  Thomas  L.  Rosser,  of  Virginia,  who  commanded  a 
regiment  at  Gettysburg,  and  who  was  with  the  Army  of  Northern 
Virginia  from  the  first  battle  to  the  surrender,  bitterly  resents 
the  criticism  of  General  Longstreet's  course  at  Gettysburg. 
General  Rosser  was  appointed  an  officer  in  the  Spanish  War 
by  President  McKinley,  and  in  recent  years  has  been  acting  with 
the  Republican  party.  Reviewing  the  work  of  some  of  the  great 
Confederate  generals,  General  Rosser  said  to  a  reporter  for 
the  Star: 

"  With  the  death  of  General  Longstreet  passes  the  last  of 

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TRIBUTES  FROM  THE  PRESS 

the  great  soldiers  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia.  He 
fought  alone  the  battle  of  the  18th  of  July,  1861,  and  won 
the  first  victory  of  that  splendid  army.  He  shared  in  the  glory 
of  the  great  battles  that  army  fought. 

"  Longstreet  and  Lee,  as  soldiers,  were  similar  in  many  re 
spects.  Both  were  great  defensive  generals,  but  neither  can  be 
classed  among  the  successful  offensive  generals  of  history. 

"  Take  Jackson,  for  instance.  His  campaign  from  Kerns- 
town  to  Port  Republic,  in  the  Valley  of  Virginia,  in  1862,  was 
as  brilliant  as  the  first  Italian  campaign  of  the  great  Na 
poleon.  He  drew  McDowell  from  Fredericksburg.  He  left 
Shields,  Fremont,  and  Banks  confused  as  to  his  whereabouts, 
dashed  across  the  mountains,  joined  Lee  on  the  26th  of  June, 
striking  McClellan  the  surprise  blow,  forced  him  to  the  James, 
and  raised  the  siege  of  Richmond.  With  the  despatch  of  light 
ning  he  wheeled  around,  met  Pope  at  Cedar  Mountain,  stopped 
his  advance  upon  Lee's  rear  and  flank,  held  him  until  Lee  could 
arrive  with  reinforcements,  passed  to  his  rear,  and  fought  the 
battle  of  the  28th  of  September  at  Groveton  Heights;  opened 
the  way  for  Lee  to  press  on  with  his  army,  and  crowned  the 
campaign  with  the  successful  battle  of  the  second  Bull  Run. 
He  crossed  the  Potomac  with  Lee,  was  detached,  sent  back, 
captured  Harper's  Ferry,  and  joined  Lee  at  Sharpsburg  in 
time  to  stop  McClellan  and  save  Lee's  army.  In  May,  1863, 
when  Lee  was  hesitating  in  the  Wilderness,  believing  that 
Hooker's  movement  below  Fredericksburg  was  a  serious  one,  with 
the  foresight  of  genius  Jackson  pronounced  it  a  feint,  urged 
Lee  to  allow  him  to  move  around  Hooker's  right,  which,  in 
audacity,  boldness,  and  brilliancy  seemed  to  paralyze  Lee,  and 
while  on  this  wonderful  march  Sickles  got  between  him  and 
Lee  with  an  army  nearly  equal  his  own.  Jackson  pressed  on, 
turned  Hooker's  right,  as  he  contemplated,  dissipated  the 
Eleventh  Corps  and  all  its  support,  and  was  within  a  half-mile 
of  his  goal,  the  Bullock  house,  had  he  gained  possession  of  which 
Hooker's  retreat  would  have  been  impossible  and  he  would  have 
been  at  the  mercy  of  the  Confederate  army,  when  he  was  shot 
and  mortally  wounded  by  his  own  men. 

"  Lee,  then  in  command  of  an  army  that  knew  no  defeat,  and 

not  realizing  that  his  great  offensive  general  had  been  taken 

253 


APPENDIX 

from  the  army,  committed  the  fatal  blunder  of  attempting  an 
invasion  of  the  North.  At  no  time  during  that  campaign  did 
he  move  with  celerity,  manoeuvre  to  the  surprise  of  the  enemy, 
or  do  anything  of  a  brilliant  character  marking  him  with  the 
genius  of  war.  The  battle  of  Gettysburg  was  lost  the  first  day, 
although  the  Confederates  claimed  a  victory,  and  it  might  have 
been  turned  into  a  victory  had  Lee  been  a  master  of  the  art  of 
aggressive  warfare.  But  he  followed  up  the  first  day  with  a 
stubborn  attack  of  the  enemy  in  an  intrenched  position,  and, 
failing  to  dislodge  him,  seemed  to  hesitate  and  his  plans  seemed 
to  be  confused.  Finally  he  committed  a  great  error  in  attacking 
a  superior  enemy  in  an  intrenched  position  at  the  strongest 
point. 

"  In  the  history  of  battles  very  few  generals  have  ever  made 
an  attack  of  the  centre  of  the  enemy's  position,  and  history 
gives  only  one  example  of  where  such  an  attack  has  been  suc 
cessful.  That  was  the  battle  of  Wagram,  where  the  great  Na 
poleon  deceived  the  Archduke  Charles  by  so  threatening  his 
flank  as  to  cause  him  to  weaken  his  centre,  when,  quick  as  a 
flash,  Napoleon  struck  the  centre  of  the  enemy  with  MacDonald 
and  his  reserves.  But  then  the  world  has  only  given  us  one 
Napoleon,  and  the  Western  hemisphere  has  given  us  only  one 
Jackson. 

"  When  Lee's  army  was  beaten  from  the  fatal  attack  which 
he  ordered  on  the  3d  of  July,  he  rode  among  his  fleeing  soldiers, 
begging  them  to  rally  and  reform  on  Seminary  Ridge,  telling 
them  that  it  was  his  fault  that  they  had  failed  and  not  their 
own.  No  criticism  was  made  of  Longstreet  at  that  time.  Long- 
street  was  retained  in  the  most  important  corps  of  Lee's  army 
and  served  honorably  and  faithfully  under  Lee  to  the  end. 

"  At  Appomattox  Longstreet,  with  Lee  and  the  Army  of 
Northern  Virginia,  at  the  close  of  a  most  glorious  achievement, 
honestly  surrendered.  The  Southern  Confederacy  was  elimi 
nated  from  the  map  of  the  world,  its  flag  was  forever  furled, 
and  all  soldiers  who  surrendered  there  had  either  to  return  to 
the  Union  and  become  loyal  to  the  flag  of  their  country  or 
remain  hypocrites  and  traitors,  which  they  could  not  do  if  they 
had  honestly  surrendered  and  accepted  the  terms  that  Grant 

had  given  them. 

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TRIBUTES  FROM  THE  PRESS 

"  Longstreet  came  out  of  the  war  with  a  record  for  courage, 
devotion  to  the  cause  he  had  espoused,  and  loyalty  to  the  Stars 
and  Bars  second  to  none.  Disabled  by  wounds,  his  right  arm 
hanging  lifeless  and  helpless  at  his  side,  his  profession,  that  of  a 
soldier,  gone,  he  turned  his  attention  to  civil  pursuits,  and  was 
struggling  for  a  living  when  his  old  friend  Grant,  the  President 
of  the  United  States,  offered  him  service  in  the  government.  Lee 
was  dead.  Southern  politicians  had  expected  Longstreet  to 
keep  the  fires  of  Southern  antipathy  to  the  North  alive,  and  as 
they  were  seeking  to  inflame  the  passions  of  the  people  as  a  basis 
upon  which  to  unite  the  South  and  to  fuse  with  the  copperhead 
party  in  the  North,  as  a  means  for  repossessing  themselves  of  a 
government  they  had  lost  by  the  results  of  the  war,  this  action 
of  Longstreet  in  accepting  the  offer  of  Grant  tended  to  break 
their  influence  with  the  old  soldiers  of  the  South. 

"  To  counteract  that  they  brought  up  the  charge  of  dis 
loyalty  and  disobedience  to  Lee  at  Gettysburg,  never  having 
thought  of  it  before,  and  never,  in  fact,  having  had  a  founda 
tion  for  it.  This,  in  a  measure,  served  their  purpose,  because 
the  old  soldiers  and  their  sons  in  the  South  are  always  ready  to 
resent  anything  said  or  done  unfavorable  to  Lee.  Now,  I  am 
mortified  to  see  that  even  the  ladies  have  taken  this  matter  up, 
and  the  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy  at  Savannah  refused  to 
lay  a  wreath  of  laurels  on  the  tomb  of  the  great  hero.  I  was 
surprised  that  Fitzhugh  Lee  should  have  charged  Longstreet 
with  disobedience,  for  I  don't  believe  that  General  Lee  ever 
made  such  a  charge  himself.  After  the  war  I  went  to  Lexington 
and  studied  law  and  saw  Lee  every  day  and  every  night.  Our 
comrades  and  enemies  were  often  discussed,  but  I  never  heard 
him  speak  of  Longstreet  but  in  the  most  affectionate  manner. 
Colonel  Venable  was  professor  of  mathematics  when  I  moved 
back  to  Charlottesville  eighteen  years  ago,  and  my  relations 
with  him  up  to  his  death  were  close  and  intimate.  I  never  heard 
him  suggest  the  idea  that  Longstreet  disobeyed  orders  or  failed 
to  do  his  duty  at  Gettysburg  or  anywhere  else.  General  Lee 
relieved  General  Ewell,  one  of  his  corps  commanders  at  Gettys 
burg,  from  duty  with  his  army.  He  criticised  A.  P.  Hill 
severely  for  his  failure  and  mismanagement  at  Bristow  station, 

but  no  man  ever  heard  him  say  one  word  against  Longstreet. 

255 


APPENDIX 

"  Now  that  Longstreet  is  laid  away  to  rest,  all  old  and  true 
soldiers  of  the  Southern  Confederacy  will  kneel  around  his  tomb 
and  pray  that  they  may  stand  at  the  great  reveille  with  Lee, 
Jackson,  and  Longstreet." 

(Macon,  Georgia,  Telegraph.) 
"  On  the  historic  page  is  blazoned  his  glory." 

From  the  lips  of  Lee  no  word  of  censure  ever  fell  upon  the 
military  renown  of  his  great  corps  commander,  the  intrepid 
and  immovable  Longstreet.  However  men  may  differ  as  to  that 
last  fateful  day  at  Gettysburg,  on  the  historic  page  there  is 
blazoned  the  military  glory  of  James  Longstreet.  No  earthly 
power  can  blot  it  out.  Longstreet's  corps  is  as  inseparable  from 
the  glory  of  the  veterans  of  Lee  as  the  Old  Guard  from  the 
army  of  Napoleon.  And  when  a  week  ago  with  the  last  expiring 
sigh  of  its  aged  commander  the  blood  of  his  fearless  heart  broke 
from  the  wound  which  laid  him  prone  on  the  first  day  at  the 
Wilderness,  at  the  moment  when  he  had  restored  the  shattered 
lines  and  saved  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  each  ruddy  drop, 
a  protest  against  the  censure  of  his  comrades,  was  like  the  blood 

of  Caesar, — 

"  As  rushing  out  of  doors  to  be  resolved, 
If  Brutus  so  unkindly  knocked  or  no." 

JUDGE  EMORY  SPEER. 

(McRae,  Georgia,  Enterprise.) 
"  Only  necessary  to  refer  his  critics  to  the  official  reports." 

It  is  rather  significant  in  the  life  of  General  Longstreet  that 
under  the  storm  of  anathemas  which  have  been  hurled  upon  him, 
both  by  private  tongue  and  public  pen,  he  always  observed  that 
silence  commensurate  with  his  dignity  of  character  and  mag 
nanimity  of  soul.  It  is  furthermore  significant,  that  whenever 
an  attack  was  made  upon  his  official  conduct  at  any  time,  it  was 
only  necessary  that  he  point  to  the  official  report  of  the  matter 
as  made  of  it  at  the  time.  In  every  case  where  unfair  criticism 
was  indulged  in,  where  there  was  no  foundation  for  such,  and, 
of  course,  no  official  data  to  which  recourse  could  be  had,  the  kind 
offices  of  some  distinguished  friend  was  invariably  volunteered. 

It  is  also  rather  a  singular  fact,  that  although  he  took  a 

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prominent  part  in  numberless  engagements,  among  which  could 
be  mentioned  some  of  the  most  sanguinary  of  the  '60's,  he  never 
suffered  serious  defeat,  and  almost  invariably  bore  off  the  laurels. 
This  statement  applies  to  Longstreet  more  truthfully  than  to 
any  other  general  of  either  side.  It  was  characteristic  of  him, 
and  at  the  same  time  evincing  his  great  military  skill  and  genius, 
that  he  very  often  manipulated  his  forces  as  emergencies  sug 
gested  in  the  absence  of  orders  from  his  superior.  In  no  in 
stance  where  this  was  done  does  it  appear  that  he  ever  received 
a  reprimand,  but  the  approval,  rather,  of  the  commanding 
officer. 

After  the  war,  his  course  seems  to  have  met  with  some  dis 
approbation  on  the  part  of  some  of  his  admirers  South.  This 
is  a  matter  which  seems  rather  best  decided  by  an  appeal  from 
the  arena  of  individual  judgment  to  the  forum  of  justice  and 
right. — OLD  VETERAN. 

(Chattanooga  Times,  Special.) 
"  Punished  for  his  Americanism." 

HUNTSVILLE,  ALABAMA,  January  8. — General  Samuel  H. 
Moore,  a  brave  ex-Confederate  soldier  of  this  city,  claims  to 
know  inside  history  concerning  the  career  of  General  Longstreet 
after  the  close  of  the  Civil  War,  and  in  a  communication  written 
for  the  public  he  calls  upon  General  Joseph  Wheeler  and  Colonel 
W.  W.  Garth  to  tell  what  they  know  in  justice  to  the  departed 
chieftain.  General  Moore  writes: 

"It  is  due  General  Lee's  old  war-horse,  who  was  familiarly 
known  to  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  as  '  Old  Pete'  Long- 
street,  that  a  statement  should  be  made  which  will  vindicate 
his  actions  soon  after  the  surrender  and  reinstate  him  in  the 
hearts  of  those  who  always  felt  safe  in  battle  when  he  was  at 
their  head,  and  who  would  have  been  proud  to  shed  their  last 
drop  of  blood  to  shield  his  fair  name  if  they  had  only  been  cog 
nizant  of  the  facts  which  impelled  him  to  pursue  the  course  he 
did — as  he  believed  for  the  benefit  of  his  Southern  people. 

"  In  1866,  when  reconstruction  hung  over  the  South  like  a 
sword  of  Damocles,  five  lieutenant-generals  of  the  Confederate 

army  held  a  meeting  in  New  Orleans,  in  General  Hood's  room, 
IT  257 


APPENDIX 

to  discuss  the  situation  and  publish  to  the  South  the  easiest  way 
to  bear  the  yoke  sad  fate  had  placed  upon  their  necks. 

"  After  discussing  all  the  pros  and  cons,  they  unanimously 
decided  to  accept  the  situation  as  it  was,  return  to  the  Union 
like  good  and  loyal  citizens,  and  be  the  recipients  of  the  offices 
of  trust  which  were  being  given  to  carpet-baggers  because  the 
government  could  not  find  in  the  Southern  States  men  willing 
to  accept  the  offices  that  would  have  gladly  been  given  them. 

"  In  this  caucus  of  generals,  Longstreet  was  selected  to  write 
and  publish  a  letter.  He  did  it.  There  was  a  howl  of  protest 
from  the  ill-informed  people.  The  men  who  advised  Longstreet 
to  do  this  did  not  face  this  opposition,  avoided  this  martyr,  let 
him  bear  the  odium  alone.  I  ask  General  Joseph  Wheeler  to 
say  what  he  personally  knows  of  this.  I  call  upon  Colonel  W. 
W.  Garth  to  say  what  he  knows  and  the  source  of  his  infor 
mation. 

"  Let  the  South  beg  pardon  for  the  wrong  it  has  done  our 
greater  soldier,  General  James  Longstreet." 

"  Did  he  do  his  duty  as  a  soldier?  Let  Williamsburg,  Sharpsburg,  Fred- 
ericksburg,  Gettysburg,  Chickamauga,  and  the  Wilderness  make  reply." 

We  are  here  to-day  to  pay  our  tribute  to  James  Longstreet, 
the  soldier  who  faithfully  and  ably  served,  the  fighter  who 
fiercely  fought,  the  leader  who  bravely  led,  the  sleepless,  watch 
ful,  persistent,  valorous  captain  of  a  glorious  host,  whom  his 
great  chief  implicity  trusted  in  every  hour  of  supreme  and 
dangerous  service,  and  who  on  many  a  bloody  field  hurled  his 
bold  and  devoted  followers  like  an  avalanche  on  the  serried 
ranks  of  his  country's  foes,  and  who,  when  valor  could  avail  no 
more,  bore  with  him  from  the  field  of  strife  the  passionate  love 
of  the  legions  he  had  led,  and  the  unstinted  praise  and  tearful 
benediction  of  his  great  commander,  who  knew  him  best,  and  had 
trusted  him  in  many  an  "  imminent  and  deadly  breach." 

Every  man  capable  by  reason  of  environment,  character,  or 
ability  of  exerting  an  influence  upon  affairs  in  any  important 
field  of  human  endeavor,  is  called  upon  at  some  time  to  act  under 
such  circumstances  that  his  decision  must  infallibly  indicate  the 
character  of  the  man  and  forever  fix  his  place  in  the  estimation 
of  his  contemporaries  and  of  posterity. 

258 


TRIBUTES  FROM  THE  PRESS 

That  time  came  to  James  Longstreet  in  1861.  He  was  then 
an  officer  in  the  army  of  the  greatest  and  most  powerful  republic 
on  all  the  earth,  and  had  won  high  and  deserved  honor  in  battle 
beneath  its  flag. 

High  commission  in  that  army  awaited  him  if  he  but  adhered 
to  that  flag,  and  the  future  held  in  store  for  him  exalted  rank 
which  his  reputation  and  ability  easily  assured  him. 

On  the  other  hand  was  a  young  nation,  scarcely  emerged 
from  its  chrysalis  stage  and  without  moral  or  physical  support 
among  the  nations  of  the  earth.  His  training  and  education  as 
a  soldier,  and  his  knowledge  of  the  power  and  resources  of  that 
great  government  in  whose  service  he  had  been  so  long  enlisted, 
enabled  him  to  appreciate  and  realize  the  odds  in  its  favor  in  the 
rapidly  approaching  struggle. 

The  conditions  which  confronted  him  required  the  exertion 
of  all  the  virtues  of  courage,  honor,  consistency,  and  fidelity  to 
conviction.  He  was  called  upon  to  illustrate  the  loftiest  quali 
ties  of  human  character,  and  immolate  self  on  the  shrine  of 
duty,  or  give  heed  to  the  siren  voice  of  ambition,  and,  lured 
by  the  selfish  hope  of  high  reward,  turn  his  sword  against  the 
land  of  his  birth  in  the  hour  of  her  sorest  need. 

As  Daniel,  Virginia's  great  orator,  has  so  fitly  said  of  Robert 
E.  Lee :  "  Since  the  Son  of  Man  stood  upon  the  Mount  and  saw 
'  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth  and  the  glory  thereof  stretched 
before  him  and  turned  away  from  them  to  the  agony  and  bloody 
sweat  of  Gethsemane,  and  to  the  Cross  of  Calvary  beyond,  no 
follower  of  the  meek  and  lowly  Saviour  can  have  undergone  a 
more  trying  ordeal  or  met  it  in  a  higher  spirit  of  heroic  sac 
rifice." 

In  that  hour  of  supreme  test,  trial,  and  temptation,  James 
Longstreet  did  not  hesitate.  He  dallied  not  with  dishonor.  He 
was  deaf  to  every  call  save  that  of  duty.  Obedient  to  the  con 
viction  that  his  first,  highest,  and  holiest  obligation  was  to  the 
land  of  his  birth,  he  responded  to  her  call,  and  for  four  long 
years  "  feasted  glory  till  pity  cried  no  more."  His  gleaming 
sword  flashed  in  the  forefront  of  the  fighting,  till  when  stricken 
and  scarred  with  many  a  wound  and  with  honor  unstained  he 
bowed  to  the  stern  arbitrament  of  battle. 

When  he  made  his  choice  and  upon  bended  knee  offered  his 

259 


APPENDIX 

sword  as  a  loving  and  loyal  son  to  his  native  South,  he  thereby 
avouched  himself  unto  all  the  ages  as  one  who  in  every  hour  of 
trial  and  in  every  sphere  of  duty  would  keep  his  "  robes  and 
his  integrity  stainless  unto  heaven." 

He  then  and  there  gave  to  the  world  perpetual  and  irrefutable 
proof  that  his  every  act  since  that  day,  whether  as  soldier  or 
civilian,  was  prompted  by  an  exalted  sense  of  duty,  performed 
in  obedience  to  the  convictions  of  an  intelligent  and  deliberate 
judgment,  and  approved  by  a  clear  conscience,  and  standing 
on  that  high  vantage  ground  he  courted  truth  and  defied  malice. 

No  man  who  rises  superior  to  temptation,  and  offers  his  life 
as  an  offering  upon  the  altar  of  duty,  and  freely  sheds  his 
blood  in  testimony  to  the  sincerity  of  his  convictions,  is  called 
upon  to  explain  his  conduct  "  in  any  sphere  of  life  in  which  it 
may  please  God  to  place  him." 

The  exercises  of  this  occasion  take  color  and  purpose  from 
that  tragic  era  in  which  James  Longstreet  was  so  conspicuous 
and  honorable  a  figure ;  and  his  record  as  a  soldier  is  absolutely 
beyond  impeachment.  Did  he  do  his  duty  as  a  soldier  brave 
and  true?  Did  he  bear  himself  as  became  a  man  in  the  hour  of 
battle  ?  Let  history  unroll  her  proud  annals  and  say !  Let  Wil- 
liamsburg,  Sharpsburg,  Gettysburg,  Chickamauga,  and  the 
Wilderness  make  reply. 

Ask  those  who  met  him  and  his  dauntless  legion  on  many  a 
bloody  field,  and  they  will  tell  how  often  he  swept  down  upon 
them  like  an  avenging  whirlwind.  Ask  his  "  boys,"  who  for 
four  years  followed  him  with  unquestioning  devotion  and  with 
ever-increasing  love  and  admiration,  and  they  will  with  one 
accord  and  with  voices  tremulous  with  emotion  answer  that  he 
never  lagged,  failed,  or  faltered. 

Hear  the  testimony  of  Robert  E.  Lee,  his  great  commander, 
who,  though  dead,  yet  speaketh:  "  General  Longstreet  (at  Gaines 
Mill)  perceived  that  to  render  the  diversion  effectual  the  feint 
must  be  converted  into  an  attack.  He  resolved  with  charac 
teristic  promptness  to  carry  the  heights  by  assault."  After 
Chickamauga,  he  says,  "  My  whole  heart  and  soul  have  been  with 
you  and  your  brave  corps  in  your  late  battle.  Finish  your  work, 
my  dear  General,  and  return  to  me.  I  want  you  badly,  and  you 
cannot  get  back  too  soon." 

860 


TRIBUTES  FROM  THE  PRESS 

Let  Joseph  E.  Johnston  bear  witness  to  the  world  of  his 
great  subordinate  at  Williamsburg :  "  I  was  compelled  to  be 
a  mere  spectator,  for  General  Longstreet's  clear  head  and  brave 
heart  left  no  apology  for  interference.  The  skill,  vigor,  and 
decision  of  General  Longstreet  (at  Seven  Pines)  was  worthy  of 
the  highest  praise." 

We  have  yet  further  testimony,  which  in  pathos  and  con 
vincing  power  excels  all  speech  or  written  language.  It  is  an 
historic  truth  that  when  the  end  had  come  at  Appomattox,  and 
those  who  had  so  long  shared  the  hardships  of  the  camp  and 
the  peril  and  the  glory  of  the  battle-field  were  about  to  separate, 
General  Longstreet  and  his  staff  proceeded  to  where  General 
Lee  and  his  staff  had  gathered  for  the  last  time  before  their  final 
parting,  and  General  Lee  grasped  the  hand  and  spoke  a  few 
kindly  words  to  each  member  of  the  group  until  he  reached 
General  Longstreet,  when  each  threw  his  arms  about  the  other, 
and  as  they  thus  stood  clasped  together  both  sobbed  like  chil 
dren.  When  General  Lee  had  recovered  his  composure,  turning 
to  a  member  of  the  party  who  is  now  in  this  presence,  he  said, 
"  Captain,  into  your  care  I  commend  my  old  war-horse." 

Robert  E.  Lee,  standing  on  the  fateful  and  historic  field  of 
Appomattox,  amid  the  gathering  gloom  of  that  awful  hour  of 
defeat  and  disaster,  with  his  arms  about  James  Longstreet,  while 
his  majestic  frame  shook  with  uncontrollable  grief,  was  a  scene 
worthy  to  have  been  limned  by  genius  on  immortal  canvas. 

The  tears  of  Robert  E.  Lee  falling  upon  the  symbol  and  in 
signia  of  Longstreet's  rank  converted  it  then  and  there  into  a 
badge  of  honor,  grander  than  the  guerdon  of  a  king. 

It  is  known  to  countless  thousands  that  only  a  few  years 
before  he  passed  away  Jefferson  Davis  moved  out  from  the 
midst  of  a  mighty  throng,  which  was  acclaiming  him  with  every 
manifestation  of  earthly  honor,  to  greet  with  open  arms  Gen 
eral  Longstreet.  Turning  aside  for  a  time  from  the  thousands 
who  pressed  about  him  in  a  very  frenzy  of  love  and  enthu 
siasm,  he  advanced  and  folded  the  great  soldier  to  his  bosom, 
thus  testifying  before  God  and  a  multitude  of  witnesses  to  his 
faith  in  the  fidelity  to  conviction  and  to  duty  of  the  old  hero. 

Davis!     Lee!     Johnston!     Immortal   triumvirate  of  heroes! 

Glorious  sons  of  a  glorious  land!     Fortunate  indeed  is  that 

261 


APPENDIX 

man  who  by  such  as  they  is  avouched  unto  posterity.  When 
Lee  and  Davis  laid  their  hands  in  blessing  and  benediction  upon 
James  Longstreet,  he  was  then  and  there  given  passport  unto 
immortality. 

The  brevity  of  the  time  properly  allotted  me  wherein  to  per 
form  my  part  in  the  exercises  of  this  occasion  makes  impossible 
any  discussion  or  analysis  of  the  campaigns  of  General  Long- 
street,  even  if  such  discussion  were  necessary,  which  it  is  not. 
His  fame  is  securely  fixed,  and  the  faithful  historian  of  the 
future  will  assign  him  to  his  due  and  fitting  place  in  the  annals 
of  his  age.  The  history  of  that  great  struggle,  in  which  he  was 
so  majestic  and  forceful  a  figure,  which  does  not  bear  tribute 
to  his  fidelity,  skill,  and  valor  will  be  manifestly  and  unjustly 
incomplete;  and  if  any  page  thereof  be  not  lighted  with  the 
lines  of  glory  reflected  by  his  heroic  deeds,  it  will  be  because 
the  truth  has  not  been  thereon  written. 

In  the  galaxy  of  the  glorious  and  the  great,  James  Long- 
street  will  stand  through  all  the  ages  enshrined  with  his  great 
companions  in  arms  in  the  pantheon  of  the  immortals. 

Over  such  a  life  as  his,  bravely,  nobly  lived  on  lofty  levels, 
death  has  no  dominion.  More  than  fourscore  years  were  upon 
him,  and  his  kingly  form  was  somewhat  bowed,  but  the  dauntless 
and  indomitable  spirit  which  had  never  quailed  before  danger, 
however  imminent  or  dire,  shrank  not  before  the  coming  of  that 
conqueror  to  whom  the  lofty  and  the  lowly  alike  must  yield, 
but,  soothed  and  sustained  by  the  holy  faith  of  the  mother 
church,  he  passed  to  his  eternal  rest — 

"While  Christ,  his  Lord,  wide  open  held  the  door." 

To  those  who  loved  and  honored  him  the  thought  is  com 
forting  that  after  all  the  battles  and  trials  and  hardships  of 
his  arduous  and  eventful  life  he  has  found  that  rest  reserved 
for  the  faithful  in  the  realm  of  eternal  reunion. 

We  can  believe  that  when,  clothed  with  the  added  dignity  and 
majesty  of  immortality,  he  drew  near  to  that  eternal  bivouac 
where  are  pitched  the  tents  of  the  comrades  who  preceded  him 
to  rest  eternal,  two,  conspicuous  for  kingly  grace,  even  in  that 

immortal  throng,  advanced  to  meet  him  and  clasp  him  once 

262 


TRIBUTES  FROM  THE  PRESS 

again  to  their  bosoms,  and  that  as  he  stood  in  their  arms  en 
folded  there  fell  upon  his  ears  the  voice  of  the  Master  saying, — 
"  Well  done,  thou  good  and  faithful  servant ;  enter  into  the 
joy  of  thy  Lord." — JUDGE  NORMAN  G.  KITTRELL,  Houston, 
Texas. 

"  No  soldier  of  Longstreet's  corps  ever  doubted  his  loyalty." 

No  soldier  of  Longstreet's  corps  during  the  war,  whether  he 
was  one  of  the  boys  in  the  trenches,  or  wore  the  stars  upon  his 
collar,  ever  doubted  either  the  courage,  or  the  capacity,  or  the 
loyalty  of  James  Longstreet.  No  man  ever  heard  an  insinuation 
of  that  kind.  No,  he  was  entitled  to  the  splendid  name  the  im 
mortal  Lee  gave  him  of  "  old  war-horse,"  and  he  held  in  the 
very  highest  degree  the  implicit  confidence  of  the  men  he  com 
manded  and  who  loved  him. 

I  love  to  think  of  Lee  and  Jackson  and  Longstreet  and  Hill 
as  the  "  Big  Four"  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia. 

Many  years  have  passed  since  that  bloody  conflict;  we  are 
now  one  people,  with  one  common  flag  and  one  country  and 
one  destiny.  But  we  ought  not  to  forget,  how  can  we  forget ! 
the  glorious  names  which  became  as  familiar  as  household  words 
to  us  during  that  trying  time.  Among  all  the  other  great 
names,  that  of  James  Longstreet,  the  ranking  lieutenant-general 
of  the  Confederate  army,  who  earned  that  title  in  the  field  and 
worthily  wore  it  to  the  end,  must  shine  forever  in  that  noble 
galaxy. — CAPTAIN  JOHN  H.  LEATHEN,  Second  Regiment  Vir 
ginia  Infantry,  Stonewall  Brigade. 

(Gainesville,  Georgia,  Eagle.) 
"  Always  a  plumed  knight  without  reproach." 

Nothing  but  sickness  and  a  cold  drive  of  twenty-five  miles 
could  have  prevented  me  from  attending  the  funeral  obsequies 
of  my  old  friend  and  great  military  chieftain  and  placing  my 
humble  tribute  of  flowers  upon  his  grave. 

And  now,  in  the  quiet  of  a  sick-chamber,  I  undertake  to  weave 
a  little  garland  to  his  memory.  I  know  that  nothing  I  may 
write  will  add  any  lustre  or  greatness  to  a  name  that  has  become 
immortal  in  the  annals  of  a  people  who  more  than  a  third  of  a 

263 


APPENDIX 

century  ago,  and  for  four  long  years,  performed  deeds  of  heroic 
valor  that  would  have  shed  glory  upon  the  military  renown  of 
any  country  or  people  that  have  ever  lived  or  had  a  place  in 
history. 

I  have  never  permitted  any  criticism  or  detraction  that  has 
been  written  or  uttered  against  General  Longstreet,  no  matter 
by  whom  or  for  what  purpose  the  same  may  have  been  written 
or  uttered,  to  have  a  feather's  weight  in  varying  my  love  and 
veneration  for  this  almost  incomparable  commander. 

I  watched  him  in  his  course  from  Bull  Run  to  Appomattox, 
and  to  me  he  was  always  a  plumed  knight,  without  reproach. 
I  have  seen  him  on  the  field  of  battle,  and  I  have  seen  him  at  his 
quiet  tent.  The  very  first  order  I  heard  given  to  "  fire,"  was 
delivered  by  Longstreet  at  Bull  Run  on  the  18th  day  of  July, 
1861.  It  was  the  prelude  to  the  great  victory  on  the  bloody 
field  of  Manassas,  three  days  after. 

Bull  Run  may  have  been  the  beginning  of  battles  in  Northern 
Virginia — introductory  to  greater  performances,  but  it  was 
nevertheless  a  finished  battle.  A  flag  of  truce  came  in  and  asked 
for  a  suspension  of  hostilities,  and  that  the  Federal  dead  be 
buried.  The  Union  forces  had  fallen  back  to  Centreville,  three 
miles.  Detachments  from  Bonham's  South  Carolinians  and 
Early's  Lousianians  were  called  for  to  bury  the  dead.  Long- 
street's  brigade  had  done  the  principal  fighting,  and  Long- 
street's  brigade  rested. 

The  dead  were  buried  by  those  who  had  been  fighting  them 
only  a  few  hours  before.  The  day's  battle  was  over,  and  the 
sun  went  down  with  the  victors  in  possession  of  the  field  and  its 
dead. 

The  battle  of  Bull  Run  (18th  of  July,  1861)  will  always 
remain  in  my  memory  a  separate  picture,  and,  like  a  diamond, 
however  small  it  may  be  when  compared  with  greater  jewels,  will 
retain  its  own  halo  and  its  own  setting  of  gems.  Longstreet 
was  the  hero  of  that  historic  field.  Beauregard  was  higher  in 
command,  but  Longstreet  began  and  ended  the  fight. 

I  hope  to  be  pardoned  for  this  reference  to  an  almost  for 
gotten  engagement,  wherein  nearly  four  thousand  South  Caro 
linians  and  an  almost  equal  number  of  Virginians  and  Louisi- 

anians  received  their  "  first  baptism  of  fire." 

264 


TRIBUTES  FROM  THE  PRESS 

I  will  relate  an  incident  that  occurred  after  the  war,  to  illus 
trate  the  inward  character  of  General  Longstreet,  and  how  this 
great  man  desired  to  be  on  friendly  terms  with  every  one,  espe 
cially  old  friends  whom  the  accidents  of  war  had  estranged.  It 
had  come  to  my  knowledge  that  in  some  way  or  other  during 
the  war  General  Longstreet  and  General  Lafayette  McLaws, 
lifelong  friends  and  fellow-officers  in  the  old  United  States  army, 
had  become  separated  in  their  friendships.  Seventeen  years 
and  more  had  passed,  and  yet  no  healing  balm  had  been  poured 
upon  these  two  proud  hearts.  General  Longstreet  was  a  patron 
of  the  N.  G.  A.  College.  He  had  two  sons,  Lee  and  James,  at 
this  military  institution.  General  McLaws  was  contemplating 
sending  a  son  to  the  school.  Knowing  that  there  was  estrange 
ment  between  these  great  military  heroes,  I  induced  Governor 
A.  H.  Colquitt  to  place  these  two  men  on  the  Board  of  Visitors 
to  the  College  in  the  hope  that  they  might  meet  each  other  in 
the  quietude  of  my  mountain  home  and  become  reconciled.  They 
both  came,  and  I  arranged  that  they  might  be  my  guests,  with 
others,  and  in  some  way  I  hoped  to  bring  them  close  together. 
Their  meeting  was  quite  formal,  and  I  thought  they  were  very 
cold  to  each  other.  But  after  the  supper  was  over,  and  getting 
my  other  guests  to  seats  on  the  piazza,  where  they  might  smoke 
and  talk,  I  gently  asked  the  two  to  walk  into  the  parlor  with 
me,  and  seated  them  within  easy  distance  of  each  other.  I  then 
began  the  conversation  by  alluding  to  some  affair  of  the  war 
with  which  they  were  familiar,  for  both  of  them  had  commanded 
Kershaw's  brigade,  to  which  I  belonged.  It  was  not  long  before 
the  clouds  began  to  roll  away,  as  these  old  warriors  passed  from 
one  scene  to  another,  and  their  voices  became  friendlier.  I 
then  thought  I  could  be  excused  and  passed  from  the  room,  and 
kept  others  from  disturbing  them,  and  when  they  came  out 
together,  shook  hands,  and  bade  each  other  "  good-night,"  I 
thought  then  that  they  were  friends  again.  That  night  L  called 
at  General  Longstreet's  room  and  knocked,  but  heard  no  re 
sponse.  I  pushed  the  door  gently  and  peered  in,  and  discoverd 
that  the  General  was  kneeling  and  praying.  I  went  away  as 
softly  as  I  could,  and  the  next  day  General  Longstreet  thanked 
me  for  the  quiet  way  in  which  I  had  brought  them  together. 
"  For,"  said  he,  "  we  are  friends  again."  If  I  ever  knew,  I 

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APPENDIX 

have  long  since  forgotten  the  cause  of  the  estrangement.  It 
might  have  occurred  at  Gettysburg. 

It  was  my  pleasure  to  have  witnessed  the  meeting  between 
General  Longstreet  and  President  Davis,  so  often  alluded  to  as 
occurring  at  the  unveiling  of  the  Ben  Hill  statue  in  Atlanta.  I 
had  been  given  by  Colonel  Lowndes  Calhoun  on  that  occasion 
the  command  of  several  hundred  one-armed  and  one-legged  Con 
federate  veterans.  When  these  two  great  heroes  met  and  em 
braced,  my  command  "  went  wild,"  and  they  never  got  into 
line  any  more.  Longstreet  was  almost  a  giant  in  stature  and 
always  attracted  attention  and  produced  enthusiasm.  What 
ever  his  political  views  were  after  the  war  was  over,  he  honestly 
and  fearlessly  entertained  them,  but  he  never  offensively  pre 
sented  them  to  any  one,  and  it  remains  yet  to  be  seen  whether 
he  was  not  right  in  many  matters  concerning  which  he  was 
perhaps  too  harshly  judged  by  some  people. 

In  1896  General  Longstreet's  name  was  on  the  McKinley 
electoral  ticket.  He  came  to  Dahlonega  to  address  the  people 
on  the  political  issues  of  the  day.  Although  not  a  member  of 
his  political  party,  I  had  the  honor  of  introducing  him  to  the 
people  of  my  native  county  in  the  following  words,  as  published 
in  the  Eagle,  October  29,  1896: 

"  FELLOW-COUNTRYMEN  AND  LADIES, — A  few  of  the  sur 
vivors  of  that  gallant  band  who  rushed  to  arms  in  defence  of 
the  Sunny  South  more  than  a  third  of  a  century  ago,  without 
regard  to  past  or  present  affiliation  with  political  parties,  have 
with  only  a  few  moments'  notice  met  to  pay  an  humble  tribute  to 
one  who,  with  dauntless  and  conspicuous  bravery,  led  the 
Southern  cohorts  through  many  bloody  battle-fields.  Like  the 
plumed  knight,  Henry  of  Navarre,  his  sword  always  flashed 
fiercest  where  the  fighting  was  the  hottest.  His  was  the  first 
voice  of  command  to  '  fire'  when  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia 
was  receiving  its  '  baptism  of  fire'  at  Bull  Run  on  the  18th  of 
July,  1861.  And  from  the  following  Sunday,  the  memorable 
battle  of  Manassas,  to  Appomattox  our  comrades  followed  him. 
From  Gettysburg  to  Chickamauga  with  unfaltering  step  they 
went  wherever  he  led  them,  and  from  Chickamauga  to  the 
Wilderness  they  unswervingly  obeyed  his  commands.  His  fame 
has  become  the  common  heritage  of  us  all.  No  longer  the  sole 

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TRIBUTES  FROM  THE  PRESS 

cynosure  of  Southern  hearts  and  eyes,  he  is  the  beloved  citizen 
of  a  restored  country  and  a  reunited  Union.  His  patriotism, 
his  history,  his  name,  are  the  common  property  of  all  the  people, 
both  North  and  South.  He  is  with  us  to-day  for  only  a  few 
hours.  Possibly  our  eyes  may  never  look  into  his  again,  nor  our 
hands  clasp  his  on  earth,  nor  ever  hear  that  voice  once  so  potent 
to  thousands  of  his  countrymen.  That  voice  is  feeble,  but  he 
raises  it  now  only  for  the  purpose  of  guiding  his  friends  into 
what  he  deems  to  be  the  paths  of  peace  and  prosperity.  Listen 
to  him  with  patience.  I  now  have  the  honor  of  introducing  to 
you,  my  fellow-countrymen,  that  distinguished  soldier  and 
statesman,  General  James  Longstreet." — W.  P.  PEICE. 

(Washington,  D.  C.,  Star.) 

"  Would  have  won  battle.    Never  disloyal  to  his  commander." 

Major  J.  H.  Stine,  historian  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
has  this  to  say  of  General  Longstreet: 

"  It  would  be  unjust  in  me  to  keep  silent  after  enjoying 
General  Longstreet's  confidence,  especially  in  regard  to  that 
great  battle  in  which  the  blue  and  the  gray  met  at  Gettysburg. 
A  quarter  of  a  century  after  that  great  battle  I  had  Longstreet 
invited  here  as  the  guest  of  the  First  Corps  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac.  He  came  to  Washington  some  two  days  in  advance, 
and  was  a  member  of  my  household  during  that  time.  We 
occupied  a  room  together  at  Gettysburg  and  went  over  the  whole 
field,  when  he  gave  me  a  full  description  of  the  Confederates' 
movements. 

"  He  was  never  disloyal  to  Lee,  but  he  feared  the  Pickett 
charge  would  not  be  as  successful  as  MacDonald's  at  Wagram. 
Longstreet  attempted  to  persuade  Lee  not  to  order  it,  but  rather 
a  retreat  at  night  and  take  up  a  position  on  the  south  bank  of 
Pipe  Creek,  where  Meade  wanted  to  fight  the  battle. 

"  He  says,  in  his  history :  '  I  was  following  the  Third  Corps 
as  fast  as  possible,  and  as  soon  as  I  got  possession  of  the  road 
went  rapidly  forward  to  join  General  Lee.  I  found  him  on 
the  summit  of  Seminary  Ridge,  watching  the  enemy  concentrate 
on  the  opposite  hill.  He  pointed  out  their  position  to  me.  I 
took  my  glasses  and  made  as  careful  a  survey  as  I  could  from 

267 


APPENDIX 

that  point.  After  five  or  ten  minutes  I  turned  to  General  Lee 
and  said, — 

" '  "  If  we  could  have  chosen  a  point  to  meet  our  plans  of 
operation,  I  do  not  think  we  could  have  found  a  better  one  than 
that  upon  which  they  are  now  concentrating.  All  we  have  to  do 
is  to  throw  our  army  around  by  their  left,  and  we  shall  interpose 
between  the  Federal  army  and  Washington."  ' 

" ' "  No,"  said  General  Lee,  "  the  enemy  is  there,  and  I  am 
going  to  attack  him  there." 

"  Lee  was  a  great  military  student.  He  had  before  him  Na 
poleon's  great  victory  at  Wagram,  when  he  ordered  MacDonald, 
with  sixteen  thousand  men,  to  charge  the  enemy's  centre.  But 
few  of  that  number  were  alive  when  success  crowned  that  daring 
military  movement.  If  Pickett's  charge  had  been  successful, 
it  would  have  crowned  the  Southern  Confederacy  as  one  of  the 
nations  of  the  world,  for  it  would  not  only  have  had  foreign 
recognition,  but  valuable  assistance.  Upon  every  field  except 
one  Lee  had  been  successful,  and  that  was  a  drawn  battle. 

"  He  had  great  confidence  in  himself,  and  thought  that  it 
was  impossible  to  defeat  him  with  his  Southern  legions  under 
his  command.  Longstreet  differed  from  him  on  that  charge, 
and  I  am  truly  glad,  for  the  sake  of  my  country,  that  Lee  did 
not  listen  to  him.  They  are  both  gone  forever,  but  it  seems 
strange  to  me  that  any  military  mind  cannot  recognize  the 
foresight  of  Longstreet  at  Gettysburg." 

(Lost  Cause.) 
"  Pendleton's  charge  a  discharge  of  hot  air." 

The  recent  death  of  the  gallant  old  war-horse  of  the  Army 
of  Northern  Virginia,  General  James  Longstreet,  has  again 
revived  some  of  the  slanderous  and  unfounded  reports  of  his 
lack  of  duty,  unfaithfulness,  and  disobedience  of  orders  at  the 
battle  of  Gettysburg.  I  want  to  offer  some  thoughts  in  regard 
to  this  matter,  and  the  first  thing  I  want  to  say  is  that  General 
Longstreet  retained  the  love  and  confidence  of  the  soldiers  of 
Lee's  army  up  to  the  surrender  at  Appomattox,  on  the  9th  of 
April,  1865.  His  soldiers  never  for  one  moment  questioned  his 

loyalty,  his  courage,  or  his  patriotism.     If  these  late  reports  of 

268 


TRIBUTES  FKOM  THE  PRESS 

his  default  of  duty  at  Gettysburg  be  true,  is  it  not  passing 
strange  that  he  retained  the  love  and  confidence  of  General  Lee 
until  the  close  of  the  war?  If  Longstreet  had  disobeyed  Lee's 
orders  at  Gettysburg,  thereby  causing  the  battle  to  fail  of  suc 
cess  to  Southern  arms,  does  any  one  pretend  to  believe  that 
General  Lee  would  have  continued  to  place  faith  and  confidence 
in  him  (his  first  lieutenant)  until  the  close  of  the  war?  No 
man  who  has  a  proper  conception  of  the  character  of  Robert  E. 
Lee  as  a  soldier  and  as  a  great  military  commander  will  believe 
it.  Another  remarkable  circumstance  in  connection  with  these 
grave  charges  against  General  Longstreet  is,  that  the  men  com 
posing  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  never  heard  a  word  of 
them  until  long  after  the  death  of  General  Lee,  who  could  and 
would  have  refuted  or  confirmed  them.  The  fame  and  character 
of  General  Lee  as  a  great  military  chieftain  does  not  need  that 
the  fame  and  reputation  of  another  great  and  gallant  soldier 
of  the  Confederate  army  shall  be  besmirched.  Another  remark 
able  fact  is,  these  charges  came  from  men  that  were  only  briga 
dier-generals  at  the  battle  of  Gettysburg.  Brigadier-General 
Pendleton,  it  seems,  first  made  this  charge  against  General  Long- 
street  in  a  public  speech  at  Lexington,  Virginia,  in  1873,  in 
which  he  said  that  General  Lee  told  him  that  he  had  ordered 
Longstreet  to  attack  at  sunrise  on  the  2d  of  July.  Longstreet 
emphatically  denied  that  General  Lee  ever  gave  him  any  such 
orders,  and  Colonel  W.  H.  Taylor,  Colonel  C.  S.  Venable,  Colo 
nel  Charles  Marshall,  and  General  A.  L.  Long,  all  of  General 
Lee's  staff,  testified,  after  this  charge  was  made  by  Pendleton, 
that  they  never  heard  of  any  such  orders.  Colonel  Venable, 
replying  to  General  Longstreet,  said,  "  I  did  not  know  of  any 
order  for  an  attack  on  the  enemy  at  sunrise  on  the  2d  of  July, 
nor  can  I  believe  any  such  order  was  issued  by  General  Lee. 
About  sunrise  on  the  2d  I  was  sent  by  General  Lee  to  General 
Ewell  to  ask  him  what  he  thought  of  the  advantages  of  an  attack 
on  the  enemy  from  his  position.  I  do  not  think  that  the  errand 
on  which  I  was  sent  by  the  commanding  General  is  consistent 
with  the  idea  of  an  attack  at  sunrise  by  any  portion  of  the 
army." 

It  seems  clearly  by  the  testimony  of  these  eminent  officers 

and  soldiers  who  were  at  that  time  members  of  General  Lee's 

269 


APPENDIX 

official  family  and  were  active  participants  in  that  supreme 
struggle  of  Gettysburg,  that  this  charge  by  General  Pendleton 
was  only  a  discharge  of  hot  air.  I  think  the  general  view  taken 
by  the  best  authority  upon  the  history  of  the  fighting  at  Gettys 
burg  on  July  the  2d,  which  was  the  second  day  of  these  battles, 
that  up  to  11  A.M.  General  Lee  was  undecided  as  to  whether  he 
would  attack  on  the  right  or  left.  No  matter  in  what  eloquent 
words  we  may  clothe  our  admiration  for  him  as  a  soldier,  the 
soldiers  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  would  regard  all 
these  eloquent  words  of  praise  as  inadequate  to  express  the  ad 
miration  we  feel  for  the  brave  deeds  in  war,  and  the  unselfish 
and  gallant  service  rendered  the  Confederate  army  by  this  grand 
old  hero,  General  James  Longstreet.  General  Lee  told  General 
Pickett  and  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  that  the  lack  of 
their  success  at  Gettysburg  was  his  fault.  This  man  of  glorious 
and  immortal  fame,  as  the  greatest  military  leader  of  modern 
times,  realized  that  he  himself  had  overrated  the  ability  of  his 
army,  and  underrated  the  army  of  his  enemy,  who  had  the 
advantage  of  numbers  and  of  far  better  position.  General  Lee 
realized  then,  as  the  world  has  since,  that  he  made  a  mistake  in 
attacking  the  Union  army  at  Gettysburg  after  General  Meade 
had  secured  and  to  some  extent  had  fortified  an  almost  impreg 
nable  position.  Grant  made  the  same  mistake  when  Lee  caught 
him  on  the  fly  in  the  Wilderness,  at  Spottsylvania,  and  at  Cold 
Harbor,  with  this  difference,  Grant  was  depending  upon  his 
superior  numbers  and  equipment,  while  Lee  was  depending  upon 
the  morale  and  fighting  qualities  of  his  army.  And  while  the 
morale  and  fighting  qualities  of  Lee's  army  were  never  equalled  in 
the  history  of  modern  warfare,  even  they  could  not  accomplish  the 
impossible.  And  the  traducers  of  General  Longstreet's  fidelity 
are  strangely  oblivious  of  the  fact  that  General  Longstreet  at 
the  battle  of  the  Wilderness  made  a  forced  march  that  taxed 
his  soldiers  to  their  utmost  capacity  to  get  there  in  time,  and 
when  he  arrived  on  the  field  he  found  the  Southern  line  was 
being  driven  back  by  superior  numbers,  and  throwing  his  troops 
into  line  and  with  his  accustomed  impetuosity  drove  the  Federal 
line  rapidly  back  and  saved  the  day  and  gave  the  Southern 
army  the  victory  at  the  Wilderness.  In  this  fight  he  was 

severely  wounded,  and  the  gallant  Jenkins  of  South  Carolina 

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TRIBUTES  FROM  THE  PRESS 

at  the  same  time  was  killed.  Pendleton  said  that  General  Lee 
died  believing  that  but  for  the  disobedience  of  Longstreet  at 
Gettysburg  that  battle  would  have  been  a  victory  for  the 
Southern  army.  How  did  he  know  that  Lee  died  with  that 
belief?  Did  General  Lee  ever  tell  any  one  so?  If  so,  whom?  It 
is  one  thing  to  make  an  assertion,  but  quite  a  different  thing  to 
prove  it.  I  have  seen  men  in  my  day  look  pretty  cheap  in  court 
when  called  on  to  prove  some  things  they  had  said  on  the  streets. 

In  conclusion,  I  want  to  say  that  while  we  all  regretted  and 
were  grieved  when  General  Longstreet  joined  the  Republican 
party,  that  fact  ought  not  to  have  created  prejudice  sufficient 
to  have  caused  us  to  ignore,  and  belittle,  and  cast  any  reproach 
upon  his  character,  or  unjust  reflection  upon  his  long  and  bril 
liant  career  as  a  soldier.  He  was  a  soldier  by  profession,  and, 
according  to  his  own  testimony,  he  never  cast  a  ballot  in  civil 
life  prior  to  the  Confederate  war.  He  and  General  Grant  were 
warm  personal  friends.  They  were  school-mates  at  West  Point, 
comrades  in  the  Mexican  and  some  Indian  wars.  General  Grant 
clasped  his  hand  and  called  him  Jim  at  the  surrender  at  Appo- 
mattox.  Grant  at  Appomattox  was  a  Democrat  and  a  slave 
holder,  and  he  went  over  to  the  Republican  party  and  was  elected 
President  of  the  United  States.  What  influence  General  Grant 
brought  to  bear  upon  General  Longstreet  may  have  been  very 
great,  for  all  the  outside  world  knows.  Be  that  as  it  may,  we 
do  know  that  up  to  the  close  of  the  war  he  had  taken  no  active 
part  in  politics  in  any  party.  We  also  have  every  reason  to 
believe  that  if  General  Longstreet  had  espoused  the  Democratic 
party,  and  become  a  strong  partisan  in  that  party,  we  never 
would  have  heard  a  word  of  this  imaginary  default  at  Gettys 
burg. 

The  soldiers  of  Longstreet's  corps  do  not  believe  he  disobeyed 
General  Lee's  orders  at  Gettysburg,  or  at  any  other  time.  We 
don't  believe  it  now;  we  never  did  believe  it,  and  we  never  will 
believe  it. — W.  H.  EDWARDS. 


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APPENDIX 


RESOLUTIONS  BY  CAMPS  AND 
CHAPTERS 

(Sterling  Price  Camp.) 
"  His  chivalry  is  as  lasting  as  the  hills  of  the  Old  Dominion." 

Tribute  to  the  memory  of  General  James  Longstreet,  adopted 
by  Sterling  Price  Camp,  No.  31,  Dallas,  Texas. 

Comrade  A.  W.  Nowlin,  in  submitting  the  report  of  the  com 
mittee,  said  in  part : 

"Comrades,  we  have  assembled  here  as  a  camp  to  pay  tribute  to  the 
memory  of  the  late  Lieutenant-General  Longstreet.  One  of  the  great 
soldiers  of  the  age  has  fallen.  He  has  answered  the  last  roll-call.  Taps 
has  been  sounded  'Lights  out.'  The  'War-Horse  of  the  Confederacy'  is 
dead.  This  great,  brave,  and  fearless  officer  is  gone.  The  hard  fighter 
of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  has  surrendered  to  the  arch-enemy  death. 
General  Longstreet  possessed  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  his  troops  in 
a  marked  degree.  They  were  devoted  to  him,  and  when  and  where  he  led 
they  were  invincible. 

"  His  name  and  his  deeds  of  daring  and  chivalry  are  coupled  and  inter 
woven  with  that  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  and  are  as  lasting  as 
the  hills  of  the  '  Old  Dominion.'  The  heroic  battle-fields  of  Virginia  will 
ever  attest  and  pay  tribute  to  the  military  genius  of  this  great  leader. 
History  will  hand  down  to  posterity  the  name  of  James  Longstreet  as 
one  of  the  great  generals  of  the  nineteenth  century." 

The  following  was  adopted  as  Camp  Sterling  Price's  tribute 
to  Lieutenant-General  James  Longstreet : 

WHEREAS,  Lieutenant-General  James  Longstreet  recently 
passed  away  at  his  home  in  Gainesville,  Georgia,  and  was  buried, 
amid  the  tears  and  regrets  of  thousands  of  those  who  loved  him 
and  had  assembled  from  every  part  of  this  country  to  pay  this 
last  honor  to  him ;  be  it 

Resolved,  That  the  comrades  of  Camp  Sterling  Price  have 
heard  with  profound  sorrow  of  the  death  of  this  great  Southern 
soldier  and  comrade. 

Resolved,  That,  educated  in  the  profession  of  arms,  he  gave 
many  years  of  his  young  manhood  to  the  service  of  his  country 
in  the  war  with  Mexico  and  in  conflicts  and  campaigns  with  the 
savages  of  the  West,  and  everywhere  distinguished  himself  for 

272 


RESOLUTIONS  BY  CAMPS  AND  CHAPTERS 

courage  and  ability  so  as  to  win  promotion  and  the  gratitude  and 
applause  of  his  countrymen. 

Resolved,  That  when  wrongs  and  passion  disrupted  the  nation, 
and  his  native  State  withdrew  from  the  Union  and  united  with 
the  Confederate  States  of  America,  he  felt  that  his  allegiance  no 
longer  belonged  to  the  other  States  of  the  Union,  but  to  the  one 
of  which  he  was  a  citizen,  and  he  resigned  his  office  in  the  United 
States  army  and  offered  his  services  to  the  government  of  the 
Confederacy.  He  received  the  rank  of  brigadier-general,  and, 
being  always  in  the  front  when  campaigns  were  most  important 
and  the  enemy  the  most  powerful  and  battles  were  furious,  he 
was  promoted  for  distinguished  bravery,  conduct,  and  general 
ship  to  be  major-general,  lieutenant-general,  and  second  in  com 
mand  of  the  great  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  under  the  great 
commander  Lee. 

As  brigadier-general  at  Manasses  he  held  the  left  wing  of  the 
enemy,  by  his  boldness,  so  that  it  could  not  give  assistance  to  the 
defeated  right  wing.  As  major-general  he  covered  General 
Johnston's  retreat  in  the  Peninsula  before  the  advance  of  Mc- 
Clellan,  and  fought  the  victorious  battle  of  Williamsburg.  As 
major-general  he  commanded  the  right  wing  in  the  bloody  battle 
of  Seven  Pines,  and  with  D.  H.  Hill  drove  the  enemy  from  the 
field.  In  the  Seven  Days'  battle  around  Richmond  no  general 
gained  greater  renown,  and  soon  thereafter,  when  Congress 
directed  the  President  to  appoint  seven  corps  commanders  with 
the  rank  of  lieutenant-general,  Ma j  or-General  Longstreet  was 
made  the  ranking  lieutenant-general  and  second  in  command 
of  the  army  under  Lee,  which  position  he  held  through  the 
great  battles  and  campaigns  of  that  army  for  three  years,  until 
with  Lee  and  the  remnant  of  his  heroes  he  surrendered  at  Appo- 
mattox. 

At  the  second  battle  of  Manassas  he  commanded  the  right 
wing  of  the  army,  and  with  Jackson  on  the  left  drove  Pope 
into  the  fortification  of  Washington.  At  South  Mountain  he 
held  McClellan  with  a  death  grip  until  Jackson  could  storm 
Harper's  Ferry,  and  commanded  the  right  wing  at  Sharpsburg 
and  fought  more  than  double  his  number  under  McClellan  from 
early  dawn  until  darkness  spread  her  sombre  shadows  over  the 

bloodiest   scene   in   American   history.      It   was   here   that   Lee 
18  273 


APPENDIX 

knighted  him  as  his  "  War-Horse"  as  the  last  guns  were  sending 
their  hoarse  echoes  among  the  mountains.  Next,  at  Fredericks- 
burg  he  commanded  the  left  wing,  and  at  nightfall  on  the  13th 
of  December,  1862,  eight  thousand  of  the  enemy  were  stretched 
out  dead  or  bleeding  in  front  of  his  corps. 

At  Gettysburg,  riding  by  the  side  of  Lee,  without  expecting 
nor  desiring  at  that  time  to  join  battle  with  the  enemy,  they 
heard  the  thunder  of  Hill's  and  Swell's  guns,  and  hastened  to 
their  assistance.  The  first  day's  battle  was  fought  and  won 
before  Lee  or  Longstreet  could  take  an  active  part.  On  the 
second  day  Longstreet  commanded  the  right  wing  and  fought 
one  of  the  bloodiest  battles  of  the  war,  driving  almost  the  entire 
army  of  Meade  before  him,  and  leaving  more  than  ten  thousand 
of  the  enemy  slain  or  wounded  on  the  field.  The  third  day  of 
this  great  battle  he  exhibited  the  loftiest  courage. 

Next,  he  and  his  corps  were  sent  from  Virginia  to  Georgia  and 
joined  Bragg  in  the  terrible  battle  of  Chickamauga,  where  he 
commanded  the  left  wing  and  routed  the  right  wing  of  Rose- 
crans's  army.  When  Grant  and  Meade,  with  their  forty  thou 
sand  veteran  soldiers,  were  advancing  upon  Lee  in  the  Wilder 
ness  of  Virginia,  the  great  commander  of  the  Army  of  Northern 
Virginia  called  Longstreet  with  his  men  back  from  Tennessee, 
and  with  panting  breath  and  quick  step  and  double  ranks  he 
headed  the  Texas  brigade  and  rushed  upon  the  cheering  and 
triumphant  enemy  on  the  second  day  in  the  Wilderness,  and 
drove  them  over  their  works  amid  the  blazing  woods,  and  a  great 
victory  was  in  the  grasp  of  Lee,  when  a  bullet  from  our  own 
men,  by  mistake,  crashed  through  his  body  and  he  was  carried 
from  the  field  desperately  wounded.  The  guiding  hand  of  the 
great  general  and  fighter  was  gone,  and  victory  fled  as  the  fatal 
opportunity  was  lost. 

In  the  long  siege  and  through  the  many  battles  around  Rich 
mond  and  Petersburg,  lasting  nearly  twelve  months,  Longstreet 
commanded  the  left  wing  on  the  north  side  of  the  James,  and 
stood  like  an  immovable  mountain  between  the  enemy  and  the 
Confederate  capital. 

When  the  sad  day  of  Five  Forks  came,  and  Lee's  lines  were 
broken  about  Petersburg,  Longstreet  was  called  from  Richmond 

with  his  men  to  the  assistance  of  his   great  commander,   and 

274 


RESOLUTIONS  BY  CAMPS  AND  CHAPTERS 

covered  the  retreat  and  gave  blow  for  blow  to  the  charging 
enemy,  and  when  the  sun  rose  on  the  day  of  the  9th  of  April, 
and  Grant  was  about  to  offer  terms  for  the  surrender  of  the 
Southern  army,  Longstreet  told  General  Lee  that  if  the  terms 
were  not  honorable  they  would  fight  again  and  die  fighting. 
Thus  he  fought  and  stood  by  his  chief  to  the  bitter  end,  retain 
ing  the  confidence  of  his  commander  and  his  President  to  the  last ; 
and  if  they  who  knew  him  best  and  trusted  him  most,  and  were 
with  him  day  and  night  and  knew  his  thoughts  and  opinions,  and 
witnessed  his  deeds  and  actions  throughout  all  the  vicissitudes 
and  trials  of  those  days  that  measured  the  souls  of  men, — if  they 
believed  in  him,  trusted  him,  leaned  on  him,  and  kept  him  second 
to  Lee,  who  shall  have  the  temerity  to  criticise,  to  condemn,  and 
to  throw  stones  at  this  imperial  soldier? 

Those  of  us  who  have  heard  the  thunder  of  his  guns ;  those 
of  us  who  have  seen  him  leading  his  warriors  in  battle ;  those  of 
us  who  have  seen  him  stand  like  a  Gibraltar  against  the  charging 
thousands  of  a  fierce  foe,  will  honor  him  as  a  great  soldier  who 
has  added  to  the  fame  of  Southern  manhood,  and  who  is  worthy 
to  stand  through  the  ages  with  Lee  and  Johnston  and  Jackson 
and  Stewart,  and  all  the  brave  men  who  laid  their  bare  breasts 
to  the  storm  of  war  in  the  name  of  freedom  and  independence. 
We  honor  ourselves  by  honoring  such  a  man. 

Resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  spread  upon  the  minutes 
of  this  Camp  and  a  copy  be  sent  to  Mrs.  James  Longstreet  by  the 
adjutant. 

A.   W.   NOWLIN. 

J.  R.  COLE. 

J.  W.  TAYLOR. 

T.  C.  BAILEY. 

MILTON  PABK. 

(Camp  435.) 
"  A  Solomon  in  council,  a  Samson  on  the  field." 

The  following  resolution  in  memory  of  Lieutenant-General 
'James  Longstreet,  introduced  by  Captain  Wm.  Dunbar,  was 
adopted  by  Camp  435,  U.  C.  V.,  Augusta,  Georgia,  by  a  unani 
mous  and  rising  vote : 

275 


APPENDIX 

Resolved,  That  we  deplore  the  death  of  Lieutenant-General 
James  Longstreet.  We  recall  how,  in  the  opening  of  the  cam 
paign  of  1862,  his  stubborn  gallantry  saved  the  Army  of 
Northern  Virginia  for  its  long  career  of  glory ;  how,  later  in  the 
same  campaign,  his  superb  strategy  rescued  Stonewall  Jackson 
from  the  swarming  thousands  about  to  overwhelm  him;  how,  in 
1863,  he  flew  to  the  aid  of  the  heroic  Army  of  Tennessee,  and 
with  it  won  the  resplendent  victory  of  Chickamauga.  In  short, 
we  know  him  by  the  proud  title  of  *the  War-Horse  of  the  Con 
federacy,  a  title  worthily  bestowed  by  General  Robert  E.  Lee 
himself.  He  was  a  grand  soldier,  a  Solomon  in  council,  and  a 
Samson  in  the  field. 

Resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  inscribed  on  a  special  page 
of  our  minutes,  and  that  a  copy  thereof  be  transmitted  by  our 
adjutant  to  the  family  of  the  valiant  dead. 

(Longstreet  Chapter.) 
"  His  fame  is  imperishable." 

Verily,  though  dead,  yet  in  history  he  will  continue  to  live; 
be  it  therefore 

Resolved,  That  while  we,  the  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy, 
deplore  the  loss  of  our  beloved  Confederate  General  James  Long- 
street,  who  was  the  first  ranking  general  of  the  Confederate 
army,  passes  one  of  the  most  gallant  spirits  of  the  nineteenth 
century.  In  the  war  drama  of  his  life  he  played  a  most  im 
portant  part.  At  the  beginning  of  the  scene  of  the  Civil  War  he 
took  up  the  Southland's  cause  and  began  as  brigadier-general  a 
career  of  courageous  fighting  which  won  for  him  the  admiration 
of  the  world.  He  was  a  comrade  of  Jackson  and  a  companion  of 
Lee.  In  personal  appearance  General  Longstreet  was  well 
adapted  to  play  this  important  part.  So  distinguished  in  appear 
ance,  he  was  indeed  a  veritable  "  war-horse."  His  career  in  the 
Confederate  army  was  a  magnificent  display  of  this  loyal  ad 
herence  to  his  views  of  truth  and  right.  His  fame  as  a  soldier 
is  imperishably  inscribed  on  the  scroll  of  history. 

Worn  by  recurring  paroxysms  of  exquisite  pain,  the  great 
warrior  was  weary  as  the  evening  shadows  fell,  and  patiently 
asked  his  devoted  wife  to  rearrange  his  couch.  "  I  shall  rest 

276 


RESOLUTIONS  BY  CAMPS  AND  CHAPTERS 

better  on  the  other  side,"  he  said,  gently.     Then  the  spirit  took 

its  flight. 

Let  us  cherish  in  our  hearts  the  golden  story, 
How  the  chieftain  bravely  lived  and  calmly  died — 
Living  for  his  Southland's  never  fading  glory — 
"  Resting  better  now  upon  the  other  side." 

Perish  the  hand  and  strike  down  the  pen  that  would  rob 
him  of  a  people's  gratitude  to  a  brave  and  loyal  son. 

Resolved,  His  death  caused  universal  sorrow  among  those  who 
honor  the  chivalry,  gallantry,  and  bravery  which  lent  to  the 
Confederate  cause  the  lustre  that  can  never  dim,  and  left  a 
laurelled  history  that  will  never  die. 

"  For  he  who  best  knows  how  to  endure  shall  possess  the 
greater  peace." 

Resolved,  That  we  extend  our  heartfelt  sympathy  to  his  be 
reaved  family  in  this  hour  of  unspeakable  sorrow,  and  pray  that 
the  hand  of  our  Heavenly  Father  may  be  laid  in  gracious  healing 
upon  their  broken  hearts.  That  the  Holy  One  may  abide  with 
them  in  comforting  influence,  and  that  the  sunshine  of  His 
wonderful  presence  may  brighten  the  present  sad  separation  by 
the  sure  promise  of  reunion  with  their  beloved  in  the  land  where 
suffering  and  death  are  unknown. 

Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  sent  to  the  city 
papers,  and  to  the  bereaved  family,  and  that  they  be  inscribed  in 
our  minutes. 

MRS.  R.  H.  SMITH. 
MRS.  ERNEST  HAM. 
MRS.  J.  C.  DORSET. 
MRS.  C.  C.  SANDERS. 


{John  A.  Green  Camp.) 

"  The  battle-fields  of  Virginia  will  ever  pay  tribute  to  Longstreet's 
genius." 

HEAD-QUARTERS  COLONEL  JOHK  A.  GREEN  CAMP, 

No.  1461,  U.  C.  V.,  DICKENS,  TEXAS. 

We  have  assembled  here  to  pay  tribute  to  the  memory  of  the 
"  War-Horse"  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  General 
James  Longstreet,  who  died  recently  at  his  home  in  or  near 
Gainesville,  Georgia,  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty-three  years. 

277 


APPENDIX 

General  Longstreet  earned  his  first  laurels  at  the  first  battle  of 
Manassas,  and  fought  his  way  up  to  lieutenant-general.  Being 
the  ranking  lieutenant-general  in  Lee's  grand  army,  he  served 
with  conspicuous  gallantry  in  nearly  all  the  battles  in  which  that 
army  was  engaged, — Manassas,  Williamsburg,  Seven  Pines, 
under  Johnston,  the  Seven  Days'  battles  around  Richmond,  Cedar 
Mountain,  Second  Manassas,  Sharpsburg  (it  was  here  that 
General  Lee  knighted  him  as  his  "  War-Horse"),  Fredericks- 
burg,  Gettysburg,  Chickamauga,  the  Wilderness,  around  Rich 
mond  and  Petersburg,  and  in  almost  all  the  great  battles  in  which 
Lee's  army  was  engaged.  However  we  may  have  differed  with 
him  in  the  political  path  which  he  chose,  when  the  army  which  he 
led  with  such  conspicuous  ability  laid  down  their  arms  and  re 
turned  to  peaceful  pursuits,  we  recognize  in  him  a  great  general, 
and  the  battle-fields  of  Virginia  will  ever  attest  and  pay  tribute  to 
his  military  genius.  History  will  hand  down  his  name  to  pos 
terity  as  one  of  the  great  generals  of  the  South,  one  who  was  true 
and  faithful  to  the  Star-Spangled  Banner  under  which  he 
fought,  and  in  whom  our  great  commander,  General  R.  E.  Lee, 
placed  his  confidence  and  trust.  General  Longstreet  possessed 
the  esteem  and  confidence  of  his  troops  in  a  marked  degree  in 
camp  and  field,  and  in  advance  or  retreat  his  deeds  of  daring 
are  coupled  with  that  of  the  army  of  General  Lee,  and  are  as 
lasting  as  the  hills  of  Virginia.  We  extend  our  sympathy  to 
the  family  of  this  grand  old  general  who  has  passed  over  the 

River. 

JNO.  A.  GEEEN,  U.  C.  V., 

THOS.  L.  WOODS,  U.  C.  V., 
B.  D.  GLASGOW,  S.  U.  C.  V., 
R.  L.  COLLIER,  S.  U.  C.  V., 

W.  C.  BALLAED,  Committee. 

Commander. 

(James  Longstreet  Camp.) 

"  A  patriot  who  commanded  the  admiration  of  the  age  in  which  he  lived. 
One  of  the  world's  great  generals." 

To  the  memory  of  General  Longstreet,  passed  by  Camp  James 
Longstreet,  U.  C.  V.,  at  their  regular  meeting  in  Ennis,  Texas, 
January  17,  1904 : 

278 


RESOLUTIONS  BY  CAMPS  AND  CHAPTERS 

WHEREAS,  The  Commander-in-Chief  has  been  pleased  to  call 
the  late  Lieutenant-General  James  Longstreet  across  the  river, 
to  rest  in  the  shade  on  the  other  shore  with  his  former  com 
manding  general,  R.  E.  Lee,  and  his  associates,  Hood,  Jackson, 
and  others,  who  had  preceded  him ;  and 

WHEREAS,  In  the  removal  of  this  great  soldier  from  the  walks 
of  life  to  his  future  reward  the  military  world  has  lost  one  of  the 
most  distinguished  military  characters  known  to  the  history  of 
civil  warfare;  America  has  lost  a  loyal  patriot,  whose  inflexible 
devotion  to  duty,  as  he  saw  it  from  a  view-point  of  patriotic 
loyalty  to  his  country,  commanded  the  admiration  of  the  age  in 
which  he  lived;  the  South  has  lost  a  son,  whose  distinguished 
services  as  a  gallant  soldier  and  whose  superior  ability  as  a 
general  in  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  easily  classed  him 
with  the  greatest  of  the  world's  great  generals,  one  whose  brilliant 
record  sheds  an  honorable  lustre  on  the  Southern  soldier  of  which 
the  American  people  feel  justly  proud;  therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  That  while  we  deplore  with  sadness  the  death  of 
General  Longstreet,  who  enjoyed  the  full  confidence  of  his  com 
manding  general  and  of  the  officers  and  men  of  his  command 
as  a  gallant  and  prudent  officer,  we  cherish  his  record  as  a  general 
in  the  Army  of  Virginia  as  a  spotless  sheen  of  soldierly  merit  and 
worth,  faultless  in  every  respect. 

Resolved,  That  a  page  in  the  record-book  of  Camp  James 
Longstreet  be  set  apart,  and  that  these  resolutions  in  memory  of 
our  departed  general  be  recorded  thereon. 

Fraternally, 

L.  A.  DAFFAN. 
T.  G.  MAY. 

J.    C.    LOGGINS. 


(Hattiesburg  Camp.) 

"  He  was  the  chosen  leader  and  central  figure  in  every  great  conflict 
from  the  first  battle  of  Manassas  to  the  fateful  day  at  Appomattox." 

Longstreet  was  the  chosen  leader  and  central  figure  in  every 
great  conflict  from  the  first  battle  of  Manassas  to  the  fateful 
day  at  Appomattox. 

Sparta  never  had  a  worthier  son  than  the  South  had  in  Gen- 

279 


APPENDIX 

eral  Longstreet.  From  the  firing  of  the  first  gun  his  ardor  never 
ceased,  his  courage  never  failed.  Often  in  the  midst  of  the 
greatest  battle  did  he  stand  with  his  men  when  they  fell  around 
him  like  forests  in  a  storm.  His  presence  was  inspiring,  and  his 
word  talismanic.  No  soldier  was  ever  more  loved  or  confided  in 
than  he.  Who  shall  say  that  his  name  shall  not  emblazon  the 
brightest  page  of  our  history?  Who  will  deny  him  that  great 
praise,  so  justly  his  own  by  reason  of  his  great  services  and  ter 
rible  suffering?  History  will  be  incomplete  without  according 
him  her  brightest  page ;  and  as  long  as  we  live  to  recount  deeds 
of  valor  and  heroism  on  the  battle-field,  will  live  the  names  of 
Lee,  Longstreet,  and  "  Stonewall"  Jackson.  Who  that  was  at 
Gettysburg,  Spottsylvania,  and  the  Wilderness,  when  the  earth 
rocked  with  the  tramp  of  armed  men  and  the  roar  of  battle 
resounded  almost  to  heaven,  would  deny  him  this  mead  of  praise  ? 

In  all  these  was  General  Longstreet  a  prime  warrior,  a  con 
spicuous  actor.  He  rarely,  if  ever,  was  defeated.  He  planned 
his  marches,  battles,  and  retreats  with  a  strategy  little  less  than 
transcendent;  and  when  he  made  a  stand  he  placed  his  back  to 
the  rock  and  bid  defiance  to  his  enemies. 

He  was  to  Lee  what  Ney  was  to  Napoleon,  a  guide,  a  friend, 
and  a  confidant. 

I  cannot  pass  this  occasion  without  recalling  an  incident  at  the 
Wilderness.  On  the  5th  day  of  May,  1864,  General  Grant  had 
devastated  the  entire  country  from  the  Rapidan  River  to  Fred- 
ericksburg.  His  soldiers  were  as  numerous  as  the  Assyrian  hosts. 
Hancock's  corps  had  advanced  to  the  west  side  of  the  plank 
road  that  ran  through  that  dismal  swamp,  and  had  driven  both 
Pendor  and  Heath  out  of  their  breastworks,  thus  breaking 
through  the  centre  of  our  line  of  battle.  It  was  an  awful  hour — 
fear  and  despair  could  be  seen  in  every  face.  In  vain  did  Heath 
and  Pendor  try  to  repossess  their  works. 

Just  at  that  moment  Longstreet  arrived  on  the  ground. 
Hood's  Texans  were  in  front.  Lee  came  in  a  gallop  to  meet 
them.  With  tears  in  his  eyes  and  his  long  hair  flying  in  the 
wind,  he  asked,  "  What  troops  are  these?"  "  Hood's  Texans," 
was  the  reply.  "  Follow  me !"  he  said.  When  he  started  to  lead 
them,  a  Texan  belonging  to  the  First  Texas  Regiment,  com 
manded  by  Colonel  J.  R.  Harding,  now  of  Jackson,  Mississippi, 

280 


RESOLUTIONS  BY  CAMPS  AND  CHAPTERS 

caught  the  bridle  of  General  Lee's  horse  and  turned  him  back. 
Away  went  the  Texans  followed  by  the  Mississippi,  Arkansas, 
Alabama,  and  Louisiana  brigades,  and  drove  the  enemy  back 
and  saved  the  day.  This  was  but  one  of  the  glorious  acts  of 
General  Longstreet. 

Cold  Harbor,  Seven  Pines,  Gaines  Mill,  Sharpsburg,  Fred- 
ericksburg  are  not  less  glorious  than  others  named,  and  all  made 
so  by  the  energy  and  courage  of  Longstreet  and  his  faithful 
soldiers.  At  the  battle  of  Sharpsburg  for  a  long  time  our  army 
was  threatened  with  defeat ;  our  lines  began  to  waver  before  the 
terrible  fire  of  the  superior  numbers  with  which  we  were  con 
tending,  when  General  Longstreet,  just  from  a  hot  contest  on 
our  left,  was  brought  around  to  the  centre,  and  for  six  long 
hours  he  repelled  the  assailants  of  this  numerous  host  and  "  kept 
the  executives  at  bay  and  drove  back  the  Mamalukes  of  power." 
Forget  him?  No!  The  names  of  Lee  and  Longstreet  will  live 
as  those  of  Cses&r  and  Napoleon,  and  when  this  physical  world 
shall  have  perished,  and  the  heavens  rolled  together  as  a  scroll, 
the  names  of  these  men  will  be  remembered. 

Resolved,  That  in  the  death  of  General  Longstreet  the  South 
has  lost  one  of  her  most  brilliant  soldiers. 

Resolved,  That  in  battles  his  name  was  a  synonym  of  success, 
and  his  presence  an  inspiration  to  his  men,  a  terror  to  his  ene 
mies. 

Resolved,  That  the  Camp  wear  the  usual  badge  for  thirty  days 
and  a  copy  of  this  paper  be  sent  to  his  family  at  Gainesville, 
Georgia. 

T.  B.  JOHNSON, 

For  Committee. 

Adopted  by  Hattiesburg,  Mississippi,  Camp,  No.  21,  U.  C.  V., 
February  6,  1904. 

(John  M.  Stephen's  Camp.) 
"  Where  his  flag  waved  his  lines  stood  as  immovable  as  Gibraltar." 

COMRADES, — At  his  home  at  Gainesville,  Georgia,  at  5  P.M., 
Saturday,  January  2,  1904,  in  his  eighty-third  year,  Lieu- 

tenant-General  Longstreet  answered  his  last  roll-call.     If  Ala- 

281 


APPENDIX 

bama  had  done  nothing  save  to  give  us  Longstreet  and  Pelham, 
she  would  have  done  much  for  herself,  the  Southland,  and  for 
fame.  If  with  Alexander,  Hannibal,  and  Napoleon,  Robert  E. 
Lee  takes  first  rank  among  the  world's  great  generals,  surely 
General  Longstreet  may  stand  with  those  who  occupy  second 
rank  among  the  world's  great  military  men. 

If  Jackson  was  Lee's  right  hand,  Longstreet  was  his  left  from 
Manassas  to  Appomattox. 

Longstreet  was  a  very  thunder-bolt  of  war.  When  Jackson  at 
the  second  battle  of  Manassas  was  hard  pressed  by  Pope's  whole 
army,  Longstreet  rushed  to  his  aid  and,  striking  Pope's  flank, 
crushed  it  as  an  egg-shell  in  the  hand  of  a  strong  man.  Thus 
always  and  everywhere  that  Longstreet  led,  his  men  hurried  to 
death  as  joyously  as  the  bridegroom  to  greet  the  bride;  where 
his  flag  waved  his  lines  stood  as  immovable  as  Gibraltar  to  the 
storms  of  the  ocean,  and  when  he  moved  forward,  there  the 
enemy  were  beaten  or  death  and  carnage  reigned  supreme.  If 
after  Appomattox,  Longstreet  made  mistakes,  or  we  imagined 
he  did,  the  mantle  of  death  covers  them  all.  Remembering  there 
has  only  One  lived  without  fault,  they  are  forgotten,  and  stand 
ing  by  his  grave  we  remember  only  his  virtues  and  the  heroism 
and  skill  which  made  him  great  in  times  and  places  where  great 
men  were  thick  as  fallen  leaves  in  Vallombrosa ;  therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  That  we  mourn  the  death  of  our  great  leader,  and 
tender  to  his  bereaved  family  our  sincere  sympathy. 

Resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  spread  upon  the  minutes 
of  this  Camp,  and  that  copies  be  furnished  our  town  papers  for 
publication  and  a  copy  be  sent  to  General  Longstreet's  widow. 

SILAS  C.  BUCK, 
McD.  REIL, 

Committee. 

{Jeff  Falkner  Camp.) 
"  His  officers  and  men  have  never  doubted  his  courage  and  loyalty." 

Commander  John  Purif  oy  spoke  of  the  death  of  General  Long- 
street  and  introduced  the  subjoined  resolutions  which  were  unani 
mously  adopted. 

"  In  the  death  of  Lieutenant-General  James   Longstreet  a 

282 


RESOLUTIONS  BY  CAMPS  AND  CHAPTERS 

great  soldier  has  '  passed  over  the  river'  to  his  final  rest.  No 
more  will  he  wake  to  behold  the  splendor  and  fame  of  his  men. 
He  has  fought  his  last  battle.  In  the  school  of  war  he  had 
learned  courage,  promptness,  and  determination.  Its  stern  les 
sons  had  taught  him  fortitude  in  suffering,  coolness  in  danger, 
and  cheerfulness  under  reverses.  Every  Southerner  should  feel 
proud  of  his  record  as  a  soldier. 

"  While  some  of  those  who  were  associated  with  him  in  the 
many  great  battles  in  which  he  was  a  conspicuous  figure,  have 
permitted  themselves  to  engage  in  some  adverse  criticism  of  his 
conduct  on  one  occasion  only,  the  officers  and  men  under  his  im 
mediate  command  never  for  a  moment  doubted  his  courage,  his 
skill,  his  integrity,  his  sincerity,  or  his  loyalty  to  the  cause  for 
which  he  unsheathed  his  sword.  Nor  did  the  great  Lee,  whose 
confidence  he  retained  to  his  death,  ever  intimate  that  Longstreet 
was  not  faithful,  brave,  and  prompt  in  the  discharge  of  every 
duty  as  a  soldier. 

"  As  surviving  comrades  we  will  cherish  his  memory ;  as  Ala 
bamans,  we  are  proud  of  his  record.  His  integrity,  his  honesty, 
and  his  heroic  conduct  are  worthy  of  emulation. 

"  Resolved,  That  our  sincere  condolence  is  hereby  tendered  his 
bereaved  widow  and  other  members  of  his  family. 

"  Resolved,  That  this  memorial  and  resolutions  be  spread  upon 
our  minutes,  and  that  they  be  given  to  the  press  for  publication. 

"  Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  the  same  be  mailed  to  his  widow 
at  Gainesville,  Georgia." 


(George  B.  Eastin  Camp.) 

"  His  fame  will  endure  as  long  as  the  story  of  the  great  struggle  shall  be 
told." 

WHEREAS,  We,  the  members  of  the  George  B.  Eastin  Camp 
of  United  Confederate  Veterans,  Louisville,  Kentucky,  have  heard 
with  profound  regret  of  the  death  of  our  distinguished  comrade, 
Lieutenant-General  James  Longstreet,  and  feel  that  we  should 
pay  tribute  to  the  memory  of  one  who  was  so  conspicuously  asso 
ciated  with  the  cause  for  which  we  fought ;  therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  That  we  recognize  and  testify  to  the  valor  and  de 
votion  which  he  exhibited  on  so  many  fields  made  memorable  by 

283 


APPENDIX 

Confederate  effort,  and  caused  him  to  be  worthily  ranked  among 
the  best  and  bravest  soldiers  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia. 

With  the  history  and  the  glory  of  that  army  his  name  will 
ever  be  signally  and  inseparably  connected.  His  fame  as  a 
skilful,  resolute,  and  sagacious  commander,  the  honor  due  him 
as  a  dauntless  defender  of  his  native  soil,  his  record  for  faithful 
performance  of  duty  and  unflinching  courage  from  "  Manassas 
to  Appomattox,"  will  endure  so  long  as  the  story  of  the  great 
struggle  shall  be  told. 

Forgetting  in  the  presence  of  his  death  and  grave  all  later 
differences,  we  remember  and  acknowledge  his  services  and  his 
heroism  in  the  hour  of  need  and  trial. 

Resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  spread  on  the  minutes  of 
this  Camp,  and  the  daily  papers  of  this  city  be  requested  to 
publish  same ;  also,  that  a  copy  be  sent  to  the  bereaved  widow  of 
our  distinguished  comrade. 

Respectfully  submitted, 

D.  THORNTON. 
JAS.  S.  CAKPENTER. 
J.  S.  S.  CASLEE. 

(Pat  Cleburne  Camp,  No.  88.) 

"  He  was  as  true  as  the  needle  to  the  pole  in  every  position  in  which 
he  was  placed,  whether  in  civic  or  military  life." 

January  17,  1904. 

Two  weeks  ago  to-day  the  wires  flashed  the  news  over  the 
country  that  General  James  Longstreet,  the  soldier,  statesman, 
and  diplomat,  died  Saturday  night  at  his  home  in  Gainesville, 
Georgia.  He  was  born  in  Edgefield  District,  South  Carolina, 
January  8,  1821,  hence  lacked  only  a  few  days  of  being  eighty- 
three  years  of  age.  He  graduated  from  West  Point  in  1842,  was 
in  the  war  with  Mexico  and  brevetted  for  meritorious  service  at 
Churubusco  and  Molino  del  Rey.  He  was  wounded  September  8, 
1847,  at  the  storming  of  Chapultepec.  He  was  commissioned 
brigadier-general  in  the  Confederate  army  at  the  first  battle  of 
Bull  Run,  in  1861,  where  he  commanded  a  brigade  on  the  right 
of  the  Confederate  army  and  held  in  check  a  strong  force  of  the 
enemy  in  a  vain  effort  to  turn  General  Johnston's  flank;  and 
from  then  until  the  dark  day  at  Appomattox,  when  the  sun  of  the 

284 


RESOLUTIONS  BY  CAMPS  AND  CHAPTERS 

Confederacy  went  down  in  gloom  to  rise  no  more,  the  flag  of 
"  Old  Pete,"  as  he  was  familiarly  called  by  his  old  comrades,  was 
everywhere  in  the  thick  of  the  fight ;  and  he  was  one  of  Lee's  most 
trusted  lieutenants,  and  every  true  Confederate  soldier  will  drop 
a  tear  to  his  memory.  He  has  crossed  the  dark  river  and  is  now 
resting  with  Lee,  Jackson,  and  thousands  of  others  who  have 
answered  the  last  roll-call,  heard  the  last  tattoo,  and  will  hear  the 
roll  of  the  drum  and  the  call  to  arms  no  more  forever.  Peace 
to  his  ashes  and  sympathy  to  his  living  comrades  is  our  sincere 
wish;  therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  That  the  death  of  General  Longstreet  takes  from 
our  earthly  ranks  another  of  the  brave  and  true,  one  who  was 
ever  ready  to  obey  the  call  of  duty,  as  the  writers  of  this  resolu 
tion  can  testify,  having  followed  him  through  many  bloody  en 
gagements  where  he  was  indeed  a  leader  whom  any  might  feel 
honored  to  follow.  He  was  as  true  as  the  needle  to  the  pole  in 
every  position  in  which  he  was  placed,  whether  in  civic  or  mili 
tary  life. 

Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  spread  upon 
our  minutes,  a  copy  forwarded  to  the  widow  of  our  deceased  com 
rade,  and  that  we  tender  her  our  sincere  sympathy  in  this  the 
darkest  hour  of  her  life. 

J.  M.  MAI/LETT, 
Captain  Commanding. 
M.  S.  KAHLE, 

Adjutant. 

(Joseph  E.  Johnston  Camp.) 

"  His  sword  was  one  of  the  most  trenchant  ever  drawn  in  the  South's 
defence." 

At  a  regular  meeting  of  Joseph  E.  Johnston  Camp,  U.  C.  V., 
No.  119,  held  at  Gainesville,  Texas,  on  the  9th  day  of  January, 
1904,  the  Committee  on  Resolutions  as  to  the  death  of  General 
Longstreet  presented,  and  the  Camp  unanimously  adopted,  the 
following  resolutions : 

Resolved,  That  we  have  heard,  with  deep  sorrow,  of  the  death 
of  Lieutenant-General  James  Longstreet,  late  of  the  Confederate 

army. 

285 


APPENDIX 

Resolved,  That  in  the  death  of  General  Longstreet  the  world 
has  lost  one  of  her  greatest  military  chieftains,  the  United  States 
one  of  her  most  illustrious  citizens,  and  the  South  one  who  in  the 
darkest  hours  of  peril  boasted  him  among  her  noblest  and  best; 
his  sword  was  one  of  the  most  trenchant  ever  drawn  in  her  de 
fence,  and  to  her  is  left  the  proud  heritage  of  his  brilliant  career. 

Resolved,  That  as  this  sad  news  is  flashed  around  the  world,  it 
is  fitting  that  every  ex-Confederate  soldier  should  bow  his  head 
in  deep  sadness  as  his  bier  passes  us  to  the  silent  city  of  the  dead. 

Resolved,  That  as  our  great  comrade  has  obeyed  his  last  tattoo, 
and  after  a  long  and  useful  life  has  gone  to  peaceful  rest,  where 
war's  dread  alarm  is  heard  no  longer,  that  we  pray  the  reveille 
of  resurrection  morning  will  wake  him  to  receive  a  crown  of 
glory  brighter  far  than  heroes  ever  won  in  the  battle-field. 

Resolved,  That  we,  his  comrades  in  arms,  tender  his  noble  wife 
and  family  our  genuine  sympathy  in  their  sad  bereavement, 
assuring  them  that  a  grateful  people  will  lovingly  cherish  the 
proud  military  record  of  this  wonderful  soldier. 

Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  mailed  to  Mrs. 
James  Longstreet,  and  copies  be  delivered  to  the  press. 

E.  F.  COMEGYS, 

F.  A.  TYLER, 
H.  INGLE, 

Committee. 
ROBT.  BEAN, 

Commander  pro  tern. 
W.  W.  HOWETH, 

Adjutant  pro  tern. 


(Merrill  E.  Pratt  Chapter.) 
"  Years  will  only  add  lustre  to  his  crown." 

The  Merrill  E.  Pratt  Chapter  of  the  United  Daughters  of  the 
Confederacy,  of  Prattville,  Alabama,  paid  a  tribute  of  respect 
to  the  memory  of  General  James  Longstreet,  by  adopting  the 
following  resolutions: 

WHEREAS,  Fully  cognizant  of  the  fact  that  there  will  be  many 

tributes  of  condolence  offered,  tributes  that  thrill  with  eloquence 

286 


RESOLUTIONS  BY  CAMPS  AND  CHAPTERS 

and  lofty  sentiment,  yet  there  will  be  none  more  sincere  or  more 
truly  heartfelt  than  that  offered  by  the  Merrill  E.  Pratt  Chapter 
of  the  United  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy ;  therefore, 

Resolved,  That  in  the  death  of  General  Longstreet  the  whole 
nation  lost  one  of  its  truest  statesmen,  while  the  South  lost  one  of 
its  greatest  chieftains  and  one  of  its  stanchest  friends. 

Resolved,  That  while  we  deplore  his  death,  we  bless  and  praise 
the  Glorious  Giver  for  the  gift  to  the  Southland  of  such  a  patriot 
as  General  Longstreet,  a  patriot  whose  fame  time  cannot  wear 
away,  and  years  will  only  add  lustre  to  his  crown. 

MRS.  JAMES  D.  RISE, 

President. 
MRS.  J.  A.  PRATT, 
Corresponding  Secretary. 


(Tom  Smith  Camp.) 
"  He  was  the  last  survivor  of  the  South's  great  warriors." 

MR.  COMMANDER  AND  COMRADES, — Your  committee  appointed 
at  the  last  meeting  of  this  Camp  to  draft  resolutions  expressing 
our  sorrow  and  grief  at  the  death  of  Lieutenant-General  James 
Longstreet,  respectfully  report  as  follows: 

Lieutenant-General  Longstreet  was  the  commander  of  the 
First  Corps  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  and  the  last  sur 
vivor  of  the  great  warriors  upon  whom  that  rank  was  first  con 
ferred  when  the  Confederate  armies  were  organized  into  corps. 
He  was  known  as  the  "  Fighting  General,"  and,  with  the  excep 
tion  of  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  was  with  General  Lee  in  all 
his  campaigns  from  the  Seven  Days'  fight  around  Richmond 
until  the  war  ended  at  Appomattox,  save  only  when  incapacitated 
a  few  months  by  wounds  received  in  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness 
in  1864.  He  was  loved  and  respected  by  his  soldiers,  and  the 
surviving  veterans  of  his  corps  have  always  honored  their  leader 
and  are  mourners  at  his  grave. 

Resolved,  That  we  who  knew  him  and  followed  him  through 
the  dangers  and  trials  of  protracted  war  claim  the  privilege  of 
paying  our  tribute  of  heartfelt  sorrow  to  the  memory  of  our 

dead  commander. 

287 


APPENDIX 

Resolved,  That  we  extend  to  his  widow  and  surviving  children 
our  sympathy  in  their  affliction. 

Resolved,  That  this  memorial  be  spread  upon  the  records  of 
this  Camp,  and  that  a  copy  be  sent  to  his  bereaved  family. 

THOS.  M.  SMITH, 
J.  C.  CAUSEY, 

Committee. 

(J.  E.  B.  Stuart  Camp.) 
"General  Lee  leaned  on  him  as  a  strong  arm  of  defence." 

In  the  death  of  General  James  Longstreet  passes  away  one  of 
the  most  prominent  generals  of  the  Southern  Confederacy.  He 
was  born  in  Edgefield  District,  South  Carolina,  January  8,  1821. 
When  ten  years  old,  in  1831,  he  moved  with  his  mother  to  Ala 
bama,  and  from  this  State  he  was  appointed  to  the  United  States 
Military  Academy,  from  whence  he  graduated  in  1842.  He  was 
assigned  to  duty  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  Missouri,  in  1842-44; 
on  frontier  duty  at  Natchitoches,  Louisiana,  1844—45 ;  in  the 
occupation  of  Texas,  1845—46;  and  in  the  war  with  Mexico. 
Here  he  was  wounded,  was  promoted  several  times  for  gallantry, 
his  courage  being  observable  on  all  occasions.  He  faithfully 
discharged  his  duties  as  an  officer  of  the  United  States  until 
June  1,  1861,  when  he  resigned  and  entered  the  service  of  the 
Southern  Confederacy.  His  career  is  well  known  to  his  com 
rades,  and  is  a  part  of  the  glorious  history  of  our  Southern  cause. 
He  was  a  brave  soldier,  a  superior  officer,  brave  and  true,  and 
one  of  the  hardest  fighters  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia. 
General  Lee  had  implicit  confidence  in  him,  and  leaned  on  him  as 
a  strong  arm  of  defence  in  the  most  desperate  fighting  and 
splendid  generalship.  Longstreet  was  a  man  of  the  front,  where 
he  stood  to  execute  orders  the  most  difficult  and  hazardous,  and 
did  not  lay  aside  his  sword  until  his  leader  surrendered  his  shat 
tered  forces,  until  there  was  no  more  fighting  to  do.  He  was 
cool,  deliberate,  and  yet  generous.  It  became  an  acknowledged 
fact  that  where  Longstreet  and  his  brave  men  were,  was  sure 
and  desperate  fighting.  He  stood  in  line  of  battle  ready  for 
engagement  when  the  surrender  came,  loosening  his  grip  on 

his  faithful  sword  only  when  the  war  had  ended. 

288 


RESOLUTIONS  BY  CAMPS  AND  CHAPTERS 

We  honor  him  for  his  works*  sake,  and  bow  our  heads  in 
memory  of  his  wonderful  achievements,  his  devotedness  to  duty, 
and  love  for  our  great  Southland. 

Resolved,  That  this  memorial  be  spread  upon  the  minutes  of 
this  Camp,  a  copy  furnished  the  family  of  our  deceased  comrade, 
and  a  copy  furnished  such  papers  as  may  wish  to  publish  the 
same. 

Done  by  order  of  J.  E.  B.  Stuart  Camp,  No.  45,  U.  C.  V., 
Terrell,  Texas,  January  16,  A.D.  1904. 

Vic.  REINHARDT, 

Adjutant. 

(Horace  King  Camp.) 

"  He  was  one  of  the  most  persistent  and  determined  fighters  that  any 
country  ever  produced." 

Your  committee  appointed  by  Horace  King  Camp,  No.  476, 
U.  C.  V.,  Decatur,  Alabama,  to  prepare  resolutions  expressive  of 
their  profound  sorrow  at  the  death  of  Lieutenant-General  James 
Longstreet,  of  Confederate  army  fame,  beg  leave  to  report, — 

First,  That  in  General  Longstreet's  death  we  have  lost  one  of 
the  bravest  generals  who  fought  on  either  side  of  the  Civil  War — 
one  whom  the  great  Lee  called  the  right  arm  of  the  Army  of 
Northern  Virginia.  He  was  one  of  the  most  persistent  and  de 
termined  fighters  that  any  country  ever  produced. 

Second,  He  was  independent,  self-reliant,  watchful,  devoted 
to  the  cause  he  espoused.  He  never  flinched  from  unexpected 
difficulties,  and  showed  his  readiness  to  die  at  his  post  if  need  be. 
He  was  a  man  of  superb  courage.  "  He  not  only  acted  without 
fear,  but  he  had  that  fortitude  of  soul  that  bears  the  consequence 
of  the  course  pursued  without  complaint."  In  the  presence  of 
death,  the  good  man  judges  as  he  would  be  judged.  In  the  grave 
should  be  buried  every  prejudice  and  passion  born  in  conflict  of 
opinion.  Fortunate  are  we,  indeed,  when  we  become  great 
enough  to  know  and  appreciate  the  great.  Longstreet  was  brave 
enough  to  follow  the  path  of  duty  as  he  saw  it,  no  matter  where 
it  led.  In  speaking  words  of  love  and  praise  over  his  grave,  we 
honor  ourselves.  May  we  with  gratitude  remember  the  good 
that  he  has  done.  May  he  rest  in  peace. 
19  289 


APPENDIX 

Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  sent  the  family 
of  the  deceased,  and  that  they  be  spread  upon  the  record  of  the 
Camp. 

W.   W.   LlTTLEJOHN, 

SAMUEL  BLACKWEL.L, 

Committee. 

The  foregoing  resolutions  were  adopted  by  a  rising  vote  of  the 
Camp,  January  14,  1904. 

W.  H.  LONG, 

Commander. 
W.  R.  FRANCIS, 

Adjutant. 

(New  York  Highlanders.) 

"  We  had  reason  to  respect  him  as  a  foe." 

HEAD-QtTARTEBS   SEVENTY-NINTH   REGIMENT, 

NEW  YORK  VOLUNTEER  HIGHLANDERS, 

VETERAN  ASSOCIATION. 

WHEREAS,  It  has  come  to  our  knowledge  that  our  esteemed 
Honorary  Member,  Lieutenant-General  James  Longstreet,  late 
of  the  Confederate  army,  has  passed  to  that  bourne  from  which 
no  traveller  has  ever  returned ;  and 

WHEREAS,  We  had  reason  to  respect  him  as  a  foe  with  whom 
we  were  often  in  conflict,  and  to  whom  we  sometimes  had  to  yield 
the  palm  of  victory,  and  especially  do  we  remember  the  gallant 
fight  he  and  his  tried  veterans  made  at  Fort  Saunders,  Knoxville, 
East  Tennessee,  on  November  29,  1863,  when  we  were  victorious 
only  after  he  had  thrice  been  repulsed ;  and 

WHEREAS,  We  also  remember  with  pleasure  the  reunion  of  the 
Blue  and  the  Gray  held  at  Knoxville  in  1890,  where  we  again 
renewed  our  acquaintance  with  the  General  and  his  gallant  band, 
but  under  far  different  and  pleasanter  circumstances — they  were 
our  foes  in  1863,  our  friends  in  1890;  and  we  also  recall  the 
many  hours  we  passed  in  his  company  when  we  fought  our 
battles  over  and  over  again,  and  where  we  had  the  pleasure  of 
placing  upon  our  roll  the  name  of  General  Longstreet  as  an 
honorary  member;  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  That  in  his  death  we  feel  that  there  has  passed  away 

290 


RESOLUTIONS  BY  CAMPS  AND  CHAPTERS 

a  gallant  soldier  and  gentleman,  who  in  the  conflict  and  struggle 
of  the  Civil  War,  where  so  many  gave  their  lives  to  defend  the 
cause  which  each  espoused,  we  learned  to  respect,  and  in  peace 
we  learned  to  love;  and  we  therefore  extend  to  his  widow  and 
family  in  their  bereavement  our  heartfelt  sympathy,  committing 
them  to  the  loving  care  of  the  Divine  Master,  who  alone  can 
comfort  them  in  their  affliction. 

FRANCIS  W.  JUDGE, 

President. 

CHARLES  CRAWFORD, 

Secretary. 

(Camp  Frank  Gardner.) 

"He  won  for  our  armies  a  world-wide  reputation." 

CAMP  GENERAL  FRANK  GARDNER,  No.  580,  U.  C.  V., 
LAFAYETTE,  LOUISIANA,  January  14,  1904. 

WHEREAS,  This  is  the  first  meeting  of  this  Camp  held  since 
death  has  claimed  as  one  of  its  victims  the  distinguished  Con 
federate  soldier,  General  James  Longstreet,  who  departed  this 
life  on  the  2d  day  of  January,  1904),  at  Gainesville,  Georgia; 
and 

WHEREAS,  This  Camp  recognizes  the  great  services  rendered 
to  the  cause  by  the  brilliant  soldier,  and  desires  to  render  its 
meed  of  just  tribute  to  the  memory  of  the  gallant  officer  and 
commander;  therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  That  in  the  death  of  General  James  Longstreet  we 
mourn  the  loss  of  one  of  the  most  illustrious  of  the  great  gen 
erals  who  led  our  armies  to  victory  on  many  a  hard-fought  field 
against  almost  overwhelming  odds,  gaining  for  our  devoted 
armies  a  world-wide  reputation  that  ranks  them  among  the  best 
soldiers  of  the  age. 

Resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  entered  in  the  records  of 
our  Camp  as  a  memento  of  our  admiration  and  appreciation 
of  this  distinguished  general  and  citizen,  and  that  a  copy  be  sent 
to  the  family  of  the  deceased. 

C.  DEBAII/LON, 

Captain  Commanding. 
P.  L.  DECLOUET, 

Adjutant. 

291 


APPENDIX 


(Pat  Cleburne  Camp,  No.  436.) 

"  The  Gettysburg  charges  are  not  supported  by  authentic  history  or  satis 
factory  evidence." 

WHEREAS,  It  has  pleased  Almighty  God  to  call  to  him  the 
immortal  soul  of  General  James  Longstreet,  lieutenant-general 
in  the  Army  of  the  Confederate  States  of  America,  whose  record 
as  a  broad-minded  citizen  and  conscientious,  upright,  and  honor 
able  officer  in  the  various  civil  positions  he  has  held,  is  only  ex 
celled  by  the  great  service  he  rendered  his  country,  as  the  soldier 
and  general,  whose  bravery,  fortitude,  ability,  and  devotion  to 
duty  was  excelled  by  none  whose  fortunes  were  cast  with  his, 
beneath  the  "  Stars  and  Bars ;"  and 

WHEREAS,  There  is  among  certain  ones  in  the  South  a  disposi 
tion  to  reflect  upon  his  fidelity  to  the  trust  imposed  upon  him  at 
the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  and  place  upon  his  shoulders  the  blame 
for  General  Lee's  loss  of  that  engagement ;  be  it 

Resolved,  That  we  deprecate  the  spirit  that  would  induce  one 
Confederate  soldier  to  stoop  from  the  pedestal  upon  which  his 
tory  has  placed  him,  to  deprive  another  of  the  honor  to  which 
he  is  justly  entitled. 

Resolved,  That  we  heartily  approve  of  the  course  taken  during 
his  life  by  the  late  General  Longstreet, — in  ignoring  the  attacks 
and  calumnies  heaped  upon  him  by  those  who  were  his  comrades 
in  arms, — as  showing  the  true  greatness  of  the  man. 

Resolved,  That  we  further  believe,  when  the  true  facts  are 
known,  an  admiring  and  grateful  people  will  place  him  second 
only  to  the  immortal  Lee,  who,  though  all  the  facts  were  known 
to  him,  exhonerated  Longstreet  from  all  blame,  saying,  "  The 
fault  is  mine." 

Resolved,  That  this  Camp  do  hereby  attest  its  belief  in  his 
fidelity,  ability,  and  high  moral  character,  and  that  the  so-called 
Gettysburg  charges  are  not  supported  by  authentic  history  or 
satisfactory  evidence. 

Resolved,  That  we  here  extend  to  the  family  of  General  Long- 
street  our  heartfelt  sympathy  in  this,  their,  and  their  nation's 
loss,  and  that  one  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  mailed  to  Mrs. 

292 


RESOLUTIONS  BY  CAMPS  AND  CHAPTERS 

James  Longstreet,   one   be   printed   in   our  local  papers,   and 
another  be  spread  on  the  minutes  of  this  Camp. 
Respectfully  submitted, 

JAMES  R.  KEITH. 

The  above  resolutions  were  adopted  by  Pat  Cleburne  Camp, 
No.  436,  U.  S.  C.  V.,  of  Cleburne,  Texas,  at  a  regular  meeting 
of  that  Camp,  held  on  Sunday,  January  24,  1904. 

JAS.  R.  KEITH, 

Commandant. 
W.  F.  BLACK, 

Adjutant. 


(Pat  Cleburne  Camp,  No. 
"  He  was  a  true  and  tried  leader  of  men." 


To  Pat  Cleburne  Camp,  No.  222,  Waco,  Texas: 

Your  committee  respectfully  recommend  the  following  resolu 
tions  as  to  General  Longstreet  : 

WHEREAS,  We  have  heard  with  deep  regret  of  the  recent  death 
of  General  James  Longstreet,  commander  forty  years  ago  of  the 
First  Corps,  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  Confederate  States 
army  ;  therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  That  in  the  death  of  General  James  Longstreet  the 
country  at  large  has  lost  a  true  and  tried  leader  of  men,  and 
the  Confederate  Veterans  have  parted  with  a  comrade  and  com 
mander  in  whom  they  reposed  implicit  confidence  and  one  ever 
ready  to  defend  his  cause  against  any  foe,  foreign  or  domestic. 

Resolved,  That  the  war  that  has  been  and  is  being  waged  on 
the  military  record  of  General  Longstreet  for  failure  to  do  his 
duty  at  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  is  not  in  keeping,  in  our  opinion, 
with  the  record  as  it  is  made  up  from  the  reports  of  General  Lee, 
commander-in-chief  of  the  Confederate  army  in  that  conflict. 
If  General  Longstreet  had  failed  to  execute  the  orders  of  Gen 
eral  Lee,  and  been  the  cause  of  the  defeat  of  the  Confederate 
army,  as  is  charged,  we  believe  he  would  have  been  court-mar 
tialed  and  dismissed  from  the  service  instead  of  being  retained 
and  trusted  on  down  to  Appomattox,  as  he  was. 

Resolved,  That  we  deplore  and  deeply  regret  the  action  of  the 

293 


APPENDIX 

Savannah  Chapter  of  the  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy  in  re 
fusing  a  floral  offering  to  be  placed  on  the  bier  of  General  Long- 
street.  His  heroic  conduct  as  a  soldier  of  the  Confederacy,  his 
wounds  and  sacrifices  in  our  glorious  but  disastrous  struggle  for 
freedom,  would  have  certainly  entitled  him  to  the  slight  token 
of  gratitude  as  he  was  passing  out  from  among  us  forever. 

GEO.  CLARK. 

JOHN  C.  WEST. 

M.  B.  DAVIS. 

(Cdbb-Deloney  Camp.) 
"  At  the  end  of  the  unequal  contest  he  sheathed  a  stainless  sword." 

WHEREAS,  It  has  pleased  an  all  wise  Providence  to  remove 
from  this  life  Lieutenant-General  James  Longstreet,  commander 
of  the  First  Corps  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  and  second 
ranking  officer  in  that  army ;  and 

WHEREAS,  In  all  the  eventful  campaigns  of  that  army,  from 
Manassas  to  Appomattox,  General  Longstreet  was  a  conspicuous 
figure,  enjoying  the  full  confidence  and  affection  of  our  peerless 
chieftain,  General  Robert  E.  Lee,  whose  own  right  arm  leaned 
on  him  for  support;  and 

WHEREAS,  In  our  second  struggle  for  independence  he  dis 
played  sincere  devotion,  great  military  skill,  serene  courage,  and 
an  indomitable  will  and  resolution,  which  has  shed  honor  upon 
Southern  arms  and  added  lustre  to  the  imperishable  fame  of 
Southern  soldiers ;  and 

WHEREAS,  He  shed  his  blood  freely  in  our  behalf,  and  at  the 
end  of  the  unequal  contest  sheathed  a  stainless  sword  which  for 
four  years  had  flashed  in  the  front  of  battle  and  victory. 

Resolved,  That  we  mourn  with  deep  sorrow  the  death  of  this 
illustrious  leader,  and  will  ever  cherish  with  gratitude  and  ad 
miration  the  memory  of  his  example,  his  sacrifices,  and  his  heroic 
achievements. 

Resolved,  That  we  tender  to  his  family  our  sincere  sympathy 
in  this  great  bereavement. 

Resolved,  That  a  page  be  set  apart  in  our  minutes  upon  which 
these  resolutions  shall  be  recorded,  and  that  a  copy  be  sent  to  the 

family  of  General  Longstreet. 

294 


RESOLUTIONS  BY  CAMPS  AND  CHAPTERS 

Copy  from  the  minutes  of  Cobb-Deloney  Camp,  United  Con 
federate  Veterans,  Athens,  Georgia,  January  14,  1904. 

WM.  G.  CAEITHEES, 

Adjutant. 


(Mayor  and  City  Council,  Atlanta,  Georgia.) 
"  He  was  ever  loyal  to  duty  and  the  Southern  cause." 

WHEREAS,  Lieutenant-General  James  Longstreet  died  at  his 
home  in  Gainesville,  Georgia,  on  the  2d  day  of  January,  1904 ; 
and 

WHEREAS,  As  a  Southern  soldier  General  Longstreet  won  im 
perishable  fame  and  glory  as  a  corps  commander  in  the  armies 
of  the  Confederacy  during  the  fateful  days  of  the  '60's,  and 
was  held  in  the  highest  esteem  and  confidence  by  the  knightly  and 
matchless  Lee,  and  was  ever  loyal  to  duty  and  the  cause  of  the 
Southern  Confederacy ;  be  it  therefore 

Resolved,  That  we  have  heard  with  sincere  regret  of  the  death 
of  this  gallant  gentleman  who  in  his  lifetime  exemplified  in  the 
highest  degree  the  courage,  chivalry  and  patriotism  of  the  South, 
upon  a  hundred  of  his  country's  battle-fields. 

Resolved,  That  in  common  with  all  citizens  of  the  Southland 
we  lament  his  demise  and  honor  and  revere  his  memory  for  his 
great  service  to  his  country  and  his  people  as  a  soldier  of  the 
Southern  Confederacy.  No  braver  heart  beat  beneath  the  Con 
federate  gray,  no  more  heroic  soul  paid  allegiance  to  the  Stars 
and  Bars.  Honor  to  his  memory !  Peace  to  his  ashes ! 

Resolved,  That  this  resolution  be  entered  upon  the  minutes  of 
the  General  Council  and  a  copy  thereof,  certified  to  under  the 
hand  and  seal  of  the  clerk,  be  forwarded  by  him  to  the  family 
of  the  distinguished  dead,  and  that  the  City  Hall  flag  be  lowered 
to  half-mast  on  to-morrow  the  6th  instant. 

Adopted  by  a  unanimous  rising  vote. 


GEORGIA,  FULTON  COUNTY, 

CITY  OF  ATLANTA. 

I,  W.  J.  Campbell,  clerk  of  Council  of  the  city  of  Atlanta, 
do  certify  that  the  attached  is  a  true  copy  of  a  resolution 

295 


APPENDIX 

adopted  by  the  General  Council  of  said  city  on  January  5,  1904, 
the  original  of  which  is  of  record  and  on  file  in  the  office  of  said 
clerk  of  Council. 

In  witness  whereof  I  have  hereunto  affixed  my  hand  and  seal 
of  office,  this  January  11,  1904«. 

W.  J.  CAMPBELL,, 

Clerk  of  Council. 

(Camp  Walker.) 
"  We  deplore  and  deeply  regret  the  action  of  the  Savannah  Daughters." 

The  committee  appointed  to  express  the  views  of  Camp 
Walker,  U.  C.  V.,  No.  925,  on  the  military  record  of  General 
James  Longstreet,  beg  leave  to  report  as  follows: 

WHEREAS,  We  have  heard  with  deep  regret  of  the  recent 
death  of  General  James  Longstreet,  commander  forty  years 
ago  of  the  First  Army  Corps,  A.  N.  Va.,  Confederate  States 
army ;  therefore 

Resolved,  That  in  the  death  of  General  James  Longstreet  the 
country  at  large  has  lost  a  true  and  tried  leader  of  men,  and  the 
Confederate  Veterans  have  parted  with  a  commander  in  whom 
they  reposed  implicit  confidence,  and  one  ever  ready  to  defend 
his  cause  against  any  foe,  foreign  or  domestic. 

Resolved,  That  the  war  that  has  been,  and  is  being  waged  on 
the  military  record  of  General  James  Longstreet  for  failure  to 
do  his  duty  at  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  is  not 
in  keeping,  in  our  opinion,  with  the  record  as  it  is  made  up 
from  the  orders  of  General  Robert  E.  Lee,  commander-in-chief 
of  the  Confederate  army  in  that  great  conflict.  If  General 
Longstreet  had  failed  to  execute  the  orders  of  General  Lee, 
and  had  been  the  cause  of  the  defeat  of  the  Confederate  army, 
as  is  charged,  we  believe  he  would  have  been  court-martialed  and 
dismissed  from  the  service,  instead  of  being  retained  and  trusted, 
on  down  to  Appomattox,  as  he  was. 

Resolved,  That  we  deplore  and  deeply  regret  the  action  of  the 
Savannah  Chapter,  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy,  in  refusing 
to  supply  a  floral  offering  to  be  placed  on  the  bier  of  General 
James  Longstreet.  His  heroic  conduct  as  a  soldier  of  the  Con 
federacy,  his  wounds  and  sacrifices  in  our  glorious  but  dis- 

296 


RESOLUTIONS  BY  CAMPS  AND  CHAPTERS 

astrous  struggle  for  freedom,  would  have  certainly  entitled  him 
to  this  slight  token  of  gratitude  as  he  was  passing  out  from 
among  us  forever. 

M.  V.  ESTES, 

J.    B.    McFADDEN, 

J.  G.   RAMSEY, 

Committee. 

Resolutions  unanimously  adopted  by  order  of  the  Camp. 

J.   S.  HOLLAND, 

Commander. 
JAMES  G.  RAMSEY, 

Adjutant. 
ATLANTA,  GEORGIA,  January  11,  1904. 


(Longstreet's  "  Boys") 
"  A  noble,  heroic,  and  spotless  soldier." 

"  I  was  a  member  of  Longstreet's  corps  for  three  years," 
said  General  McGlashan,  in  the  preface  to  his  resolutions,  "  I 
followed  the  fortunes  of  that  corps,  served  with  it,  saw  its  work, 
saw  its  sufferings,  its  victories,  and  its  grandeur  of  behavior  on 
every  battle-field  from  Seven  Pines  to  Appomattox,  for  I  was 
fortunate  enough  to  be  wounded  at  only  one  fight,  and  if  any 
one  in  so  humble  a  position  as  I  was  could  say  anything  about 
his  leader,  I  think  I  can. 

"  You  all  know  the  reputation  of  Longstreet's  corps ;  you 
know  the  glory  of  its  service  and  what  it  accomplished  on  many 
battle-fields,  and  you  cannot  dissociate  General  Longstreet  from 
the  glory  and  reputation  of  his  corps."  General  McGlashan  was 
here  interrupted  by  cheers.  Continuing,  he  said,  "  We  are  con 
cerned  with  nothing  that  may  have  been  said  of  General  Long- 
street  after  the  war;  we  are  here  to  remember  him  as  a  great 
Confederate  general  and  leader. 

"  When  General  Longstreet,  in  his  old  gray  coat,  came  to 
Atlanta  in  1886,  Jefferson  Davis  received  him  with  open  arms; 
there  was  no  lack  of  confidence  or  acceptance  there,  and  it  is 

not  for  any  others  to  say  what  Lee  and  Davis  left  unsaid." 

297 


APPENDIX 

General  McGlashan  then  introduced  the  following  resolu 
tions  : 

WHEREAS,  It  hath  pleased  our  Almighty  Father  to  call  to 
himself,  in  the  fulness  of  years,  our  beloved  comrade  and  leader, 
General  James  Longstreet;  be  it 

Resolved,  That  in  the  death  of  General  Longstreet,  we  have 
lost  a  true  and  gallant  comrade,  an  able  and  victorious  leader 
of  the  Confederate  hosts  in  the  past,  whose  deeds  are  among  the 
proudest  memories  of  the  South ;  the  South  a  noble,  heroic,  and 
spotless  son;  the  nation  a  true  citizen  who  reflected  honor  on 
whatever  cause  he  undertook;  and  the  world  a  great  soldier 
whose  fame  will  survive  with  the  annals  of  the  Lost  Cause. 

Resolved,  That  we  extend  our  deepest  sympathy  to  the 
family  of  our  deceased  comrade  in  their  great  bereavement,  and 
that  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  sent  them. 


(Floyd  County  Camp.) 

"  The  patriot  who  gave  his  all." 

ROME,  GEORGIA,  January  12,  1904. 
MBS.  JAMES  LONGSTBEET, 

Gainesville,  Georgia: 

MADAM, — At  a  meeting  held  to-day  of  Floyd  County  Camp, 
United  Confederate  Veterans,  the  following  resolutions  were 
unanimously  adopted: 

WHEREAS,  Our  honored  and  beloved  fellow-comrade  of  the 
United  Confederate  Veterans,  Lieutenant-General  James  Long- 
street,  quietly  and  peacefully  died  at  his  home  in  Gainesville, 
Georgia,  on  Saturday,  January  2,  1904,  and  recognizing  in 
him  the  true  man,  the  good  citizen,  the  soldier  without  fear, 
the  patriot  who  willingly  offered  his  all  and  shed  his  own  blood 
on  his  country's  altar,  and  the  man  who  feared  nothing  but 
God ;  therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  That  the  Floyd  County  Camp,  No.  368,  United 
Confederate  Veterans,  while  bowing  to  the  ever-wise,  always 
loving  decrees  of  God,  are  deeply  grieved  and  sincerely  sorry 
at  this  the  death  of  another  great  captain  of  the  Southern 

298 


RESOLUTIONS  BY  CAMPS  AND  CHAPTERS 

Cause;  at  the  same  time  rejoicing  in  the  confident  assurance 
and  abiding  trust  that  he  has,  only  a  little  in  advance  of  us, 
passed  "  over  the  river  and  is  now  sweetly  resting  under  the 
shade  of  the  trees"  with  Lee,  Jackson,  Beauregard,  Johnston, 
Polk,  Gordon,  and  the  thousands  of  others  who  grandly  and 
gloriously  followed  the  same  dear  flag. 

Resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  spread  upon  the  minutes 
of  this  Camp,  that  a  copy  be  forwarded  to  the  family  of  our 
deceased  comrade,  accompanied  by  our  sincerest  and  deepest 
sympathy. 

THOMPSON  STILES, 
G.  W.  FLEETWOOD, 
M.  W.  BRATT, 
A.  B.  S.  MOSELEY, 
J.  H.  CAMP, 

Committee. 


(Camp  Niemeyer  Shaw,  Berkley,  Virginia.) 
"  His  life  full  to  the  brim  of  manly  principle." 

This  Camp  has  heard  with  profound  sorrow  of  the  death  of 
Lieutenant-General  Longstreet. 

His  life  had  reached  the  full  measure  of  human  probation; 
but  it  was  full  to  the  brim  of  manly  principle,  heroic  service,  and 
dauntless  courage.  Loyal  to  his  Southland  and  to  all  the  in 
terest  committed  to  him  by  his  country,  he  maintained  his  in 
tegrity  of  character  and  the  unbounded  confidence  of  all  right- 
minded  men  to  the  end. 

Tried  in  the  school  of  civic  life  and  in  the  crucible  of  battle, 
he  filled  a  creditable  page  in  the  fateful  and  tragic  incidents  of 
the  sixties,  and  then  shared  all  the  privations  common  to  his 
fellow-comrades  in  helping  to  rehabilitate  the  homes  of  a  people 
wrecked  by  the  scourge  of  civil  war. 

As  a  Camp  we  desire  to  re-express  our  unbounded  confidence 
in  his  military  career  and  in  his  unswerving  devotion  to  the 

best  interests  of  mankind. 

299 


APPENDIX 

Having  passed  through  the  gate  which  is  ajar  for  all  hu 
manity,  we  mournfully  bid  the  old  commander  and  veteran  of 
the  "  Lost  Cause"  a  final  adieu. 

J.  A.  SPEIGHT, 
J.  S.  WHITWOETH, 
J.  L.  R.  HAEEIS, 

Committee. 
E.  L.  Cox, 

Commander. 

(Camp  Ben  McCulloch.) 
"  His  fame  and  glory  belong  to  the  South." 

WHEREAS,  It  has  pleased  Almighty  God  to  remove  from  this 
earth  our  distinguished  comrade,  General  James  Longstreet; 
therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  That  we  deeply  lament  the  death  of  our  comrade, 
and  shall  ever  cherish  and  revere  his  memory. 

Resolved,  The  ever  memorable  relief  of  that  arch  hero 
"  Stonewall"  Jackson,  when  hard  pressed  by  overwhelming 
forces  of  the  enemy  at  the  second  battle  of  Manassas,  by  which 
prompt  action  pending  defeat  was  turned  into  glorious  victory, 
entitles  General  Longstreet  to  a  lofty  pedestal  in  the  Temple  of 
Fame. 

Resolved,  We  honor  and  revere  our  deceased  comrade  not  only 
for  his  great  military  achievements,  but  for  the  personal  solici 
tude  and  care  that  he  always  had  for  the  welfare  and  comfort 
of  the  private  soldier,  causing  all  who  served  under  him  to 
regard  him  with  unbounded  confidence  and  affection. 

Resolved,  The  fame  and  glory  of  General  Longstreet,  one  of 
the  last  of  the  great  lieutenants  of  the  incomparable  Lee,  be 
longs  to  the  South,  especially  to  those  who,  like  him,  fought  for 
its  independence,  and  by  them  it  will  be  kept  and  cherished  as 
one  of  its  precious  treasures. 

"  Sleep,  soldier,  sleep,  thy  warfare  's  o'er." 

J.  B.  WOLF. 
ED.  F.  ENGLISH. 

W.    M.   McGEEGOE. 

300 


RESOLUTIONS  BY  CAMPS  AND  CHAPTERS 

I  certify  that  the  above  is  a  copy  of  the  resolutions  spread 
upon  the  minutes  of  our  Camp  January  13,  1904. 

JAMES  B.  MOORE, 

Adjutant. 

CAMP  BEX  McCuLLOCH,  U.  C.  V.,  CAMERON,  TEXAS. 


(John  B.  Gordon  Camp.) 
"Courage  and  honor  his  characteristics  as  soldier  and  citizen." 

Resolved,  That  the  John  B.  Gordon  Camp,  Sons  of  Con 
federate  Veterans,  Atlanta,  Georgia,  has  heard  with  great  sor 
row  of  the  death  of  General  James  Longstreet,  which  occurred 
at  his  home  at  Gainesville,  Georgia,  on  the  2d  day  of  January, 
1904. 

His  life  was  one  of  fealty  and  devotion  to  the  cause  for  which 
he  fought,  while  courage  and  honor  were  his  characteristics  both 
as  soldier  and  citizen. 

It  can  truthfully  be  said  of  him:  He  was  great  among  our 
many  illustrious  leaders  of  the  Confederate  States  army, — than 
which  there  can  be  no  higher  tribute  paid  to  man, — and  after 
having  bravely  served  his  country  during  its  darkest  hours, 
accepting  the  arbitrament  of  the  sword  in  a  spirit  that  history 
now  adjudges  to  have  been  commendable,  he  became  a  good 
citizen  of  our  reunited  country. 

Resolved,  That  as  an  expression  of  the  high  regard  in  which 
we,  the  sons  of  the  men  who  followed  the  lead  of  this  great 
captain,  hold  his  services  to  our  Southland  as  a  soldier,  and  as 
a  testimonial  of  our  regard  for  his  character  as  a  man,  direct 
that  these  resolutions  be  spread  upon  the  minutes  of  our  Camp, 
and  further  that  the  secretary  be  directed  to  forward  a  copy  of 
the  same  to  the  family  of  the  deceased,  with  whom  we  sympathize 
in  the  hour  of  sad  bereavement  to  which  Providence  in  His 
wisdom  subjects  them. 

H.  F.  WEST,  Chairman, 
HUGH  W.  DORSET, 
C.  H.  ESSIG, 
W.  B.  LADVAI/L, 
A.  J.  McBRiDE,  JR., 

Committee. 
301 


APPENDIX 


(Alexander  H.  Stephens  Camp.) 
"The  beau-ideal  of  soldier  and  patriot." 

ATTENTION,  COMRADES: 

When  men  conspicuous  for  sublime  action,  such  as  heroic  con 
duct,  goodness  or  greatness,  or  other  lofty  attainment  are  called 
to  pass  over  the  "  river  of  death,"  it  is  a  patriotic  duty  for  sur 
viving  comrades  to  give  expression  to  their  grief.  It  needs  not 
the  building  of  a  pantheon  or  vote  of  a  senate  to  give  them  a 
place  among  the  immortals,  to  keep  alive  their  illustrious  acts 
and  virtues.  Most  certainly  it  is  not  necessary  in  the  case  of 
Longstreet, — "  Old  Pete,"  as  he  was  lovingly  called  by  com 
rades  who  followed  him  unflinchingly  through  four  years  of 
warfare.  "  Old  Pete"  is  dead,  yet  he  lives  in  the  hearts  of  his 
old  corps  and  will  continue  to  live  in  history,  poetry,  and  song, 
the  beau-ideal  of  a  soldier,  patriot,  and  a  lover  of  liberty.  Yet 
like  all  men  who  attain  to  eminent  merit  and  conspicuous  sub 
limity,  he  lived  to  realize  the  truthfulness  of  the  poet,  that 


He  who  ascends  to  mountain-tops  shall  find 

The  loftiest  peaks  most  wrapt  in  clouds  and  snow. 
He  who  surpasses  or  subdues  mankind 

Must  look  down  on  the  hate  of  those  below, 
Though  high  above  the  sun  of  glory  glow, 

And  far  beneath  the  earth  and  ocean  spread; 
Round  him  are  icy  rocks  and  loudly  blow 

Contending  tempests  on  his  naked  head, 
And  thus  reward  the  toil  which  to  those  summits  led." 


Such  was  the  fateful  experience  of  our  beloved  Longstreet,  a 
corps  commander  and  lieutenant-general  in  the  Army  of  North 
ern  Virginia.  To  him  obedience  to  constituted  authority 
moulded  and  shaped  the  ideal  soldier  and  citizen  for  his  dis 
tinguished  life  service;  and  became  the  reasons  for  his  acts  in 
rigidly  observing  his  Appomattox  parole.  We  know  that  he 
was  one  of  the  bravest  of  the  brave  and  truest  of  the  true. 

Unanimously  adopted  by  the  Alexander  H.  Stephens  Camp, 
U.  C.  V.,  Crawfordville,  Georgia. 

302 


RESOLUTIONS  BY  CAMPS  AND  CHAPTERS 

(Marengo  Rifles  Chapter,  U.  D.  C.) 
"  One  of  the  hardest  fighters  in  Lee's  army." 

WHEREAS,  The  Great  Commander-in-Chief  has  called  "  over 
the  river"  the  gallant  Longstreet;  therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  That  Marengo  Rifles  Chapter,  U.  D.  C.,  mourns 
with  the  entire  Southland  the  death  of  that  daring,  brave,  and 
fearless  soldier,  General  James  Longstreet,  who  was  one  of  the 
strongest  supports,  and  one  of  the  hardest  fighters  the  peerless 
Lee  had  in  his  army ;  that  his  fame  will  ever  be  cherished  by  this 
Chapter  as  well  as  by  all  who  "  wore  the  gray." 

Resolved,  That  we  sympathize  with  the  widow  of  the  great 
leader,  to  whom  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  will  be  sent  by  the 
secretary. 

MRS.  GEO.  W.  LAYLOR. 
MRS.  BENJAMIN  F.  ELMORE. 
Miss  MARY  R.  CLARKE. 


(Jeff  Lee  Camp.) 

"  The  war-horse  of  the  Confederacy." 

HEAD-QUARTERS  JEFF  LEE  CAMP,  No.  68, 

UNITED  CONFEDERATE  VETERANS, 
ADJTTTANT'S  OFFICE,  MCALESTER,  I.  T.,  January  23,  1904. 

WHEREAS,  The  Supreme  Commander  of  all  the  hosts  has 
ordered  our  beloved  comrade  and  friend,  General  James  Long- 
street,  the  old  war-horse  of  the  Confederacy,  to  report  at  head 
quarters  a  little  in  advance  of  us,  his  fellow-soldiers;  therefore 
be  it 

Resolved,  That  while  we  shall  miss  from  our  councils  and 
general  convention  our  brother  and  comrade,  the  sunlight  of 
whose  presence  upon  the  hard-fought  battle-fields  enabled  us 
to  bear  more  easily  our  long  marches  and  severe  engagements  of 
the  four  years'  campaign,  we  know  that  the  order  came  from 
One  who  doeth  all  things  well,  and  are  certain  that  in  the  dispen 
sation  of  eternity  we  shall  concur  in  its  wisdom. 

Resolved,  That  so  long  as  our  little  remnant  of  life  shall  hold 
out,  we  shall  feel  a  pride  in  the  military  record  of  our  brother 

and  comrade. 

303 


APPENDIX 

Resolved,  That  Jeff  Lee  Camp,  No.  68,  extend  its  loving 
sympathy  to  the  family  of  our  departed  comrade  in  the  darkest 
hour  of  their  lives. 

Resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  entered  in  the  record  book 
of  the  Camp,  a  copy  of  them  be  presented  to  the  daily  and 
weekly  papers  for  publication,  and  a  copy  sent  to  the  surviving 
widow  of  our  comrade. 

W.  A.  TREADWELL, 

J.   J.   McALESTER, 
R.    B.    COLEMAN, 

Committee. 

(John  H.  Morgan  and  Bourbon  Camps.) 
"  Full  of  years  and  honors." 

At  a  meeting  of  John  H.  Morgan  Camp,  No.  95,  and  Bour 
bon  Camp,  No.  1368,  U.  C.  V.  A.,  in  joint  assembly,  held  in 
the  city  of  Paris,  Kentucky,  on  the  1st  day  of  February,  1904, 
the  following  resolutions  were  adopted: 

The  distinguished  officers  of  the  Confederacy  are  rapidly 
falling  before  the  grim  reaper.  We  are  called  upon  to  mourn 
the  departure  of  one  of  the  greatest  soldiers  developed  in  the  war 
between  the  States,  Lieutenant-General  James  Longstreet,  dying 
full  of  years  and  of  honors.  As  a  soldier  we  have  the  estimate 
of  his  chieftain, — "  My  war-horse."  With  this  epitaph  en 
graven  on  his  tomb,  the  niche  his  name  will  occupy  on  "  Fame's 
eternal  camping-ground"  is  assured;  therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  That  our  sincerest  sympathies  be  extended  to  his 
bereaved  wife. 

JAMES  R.   ROGERS, 
W.  M.  LAYSON, 
RUSSELL  MANN, 

Committee. 

(Selma,  Alabama,  Chapter.) 

"A  rare  combination  of  fidelity,  patriotic  principle,  and  unsullied 
integrity." 

SELMA,  ALABAMA,  January  14,  1904. 

The  committee  appointed  January  12,  at  a  meeting  of  the 
Selma,  Alabama,  Chapter,  to  prepare  resolutions  in  memory  of 

General  James  Longstreet  offer  the  following: 

304 


RESOLUTIONS  BY  CAMPS  AND  CHAPTERS 

Resolved,  That  in  the  shadow  of  this  great  sorrow  the  Selma 
Chapter  joins  with  the  Confederate  Veterans,  Divisions  and 
Brigades,  in  submission  to  Him  who  "  doeth  according  to 
His  will  in  the  army  of  heaven  and  among  the  inhabitants  of 
earth." 

That  we  recognize  in  the  life  and  character  of  General 
Longstreet  a  rare  combination  of  fidelity  to  patriotic  prin 
ciples,  an  attractive  personality,  and  an  unsullied  integrity, 
calling  forth  from  the  North  high  estimation,  from  the  South, 
warmest  love. 

That  we  extend  to  the  family  and  wife  of  the  patriot  soldier 
cordial  sympathy  in  this  dark  hour,  commending  them  to  the 
tender  mercies  of  our  Heavenly  Father. 

Miss  JULIA  CLARKE, 
Miss  MARY  LEWIS, 

Corresponding  Secretary, 
Miss  E.  F.  FERGUSON, 

Committee. 


(C.  M.  Winkler  Camp.) 
"  One  of  the  great  commanders  of  modern  times." 

WHEREAS,  It  has  pleased  the  Almighty  God  to  remove  from 
our  midst  one  who  while  in  life  was  a  brilliant  soldier,  courteous 
gentleman,  and  whose  military  career  in  the  armies  of  the  South 
marked  him  as  one  of  the  truly  great  commanders  of  modern 
times;  therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  That  in  the  death  of  General  Longstreet  the  South 
has  lost  a  great  soldier  and  a  brilliant  commander,  to  whose 
fame  as  such  nothing  can  be  added,  save  that  he  was  "  the  war- 
horse"  of  the  great  Lee. 

Resolved,  That  this  Camp  tenders  to  the  bereaved  wife  and 
family  its  heartfelt  sympathy  and  condolence  in  the  death  of  the 
distinguished  soldier  and  citizen,  and  that  the  adjutant  of  this 
Camp  forward  to  the  wife  of  General  Longstreet  a  copy  of 
these  resolutions,  and  furnish  the  city  press  with  a  true  copy 

of  the  same  for  publication. 

20  305 


APPENDIX 

(Company  B,  Confederate  Veterans.) 

"  A  tribute  of  glory  on  his  grave." 

HEAD-QUARTERS  COMPANY  "  B," 

COKFEDERATE    VETERANS, 

NASHVILLE,  TENNESSEE,  January  12,  1904. 

At  a  meeting  of  Company  "  B,"  Confederate  Veterans,  the 
following  resolutions  were  adopted: 

WHEREAS,  We  have  heard  with  great  sorrow  of  the  death  of 
General  James  Longstreet,  under  whose  leadership  many  of  us 
fought  during  the  great  war ;  be  it 

Resolved,  That  in  General  Longstreet  the  Confederacy  had 
one  of  her  greatest  leaders.  His  ability  as  such,  his  bravery, 
and  unwearied  zeal  won  for  him  a  place  in  our  hearts,  and  we 
desire  as  an  organization  to  add  our  testimony  to  his  worth  as  a 
soldier,  citizen,  and  man. 

We  mingle  our  tears  with  those  of  his  family  and  friends, 
and  place  a  tribute  of  glory  on  his  grave. 

Resolved,  That  we  send  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  to  his  be 
reaved  wife  and  family. 

SPENCER  EAKIN, 
Captain  Commanding. 

GEO.  H.  Hows, 

O.  S. 

(Camp  Hampton.) 

"  His  name  is  associated  with  almost  every  Confederate  victory  won  on 
the  soil  of  Virginia." 

At  a  meeting  of  Camp  Hampton,  Columbia,  South  Carolina, 
Colonel  R.  W.  Shand  spoke  feelingly  of  the  life  and  services 
of  General  Longstreet,  and  offered  the  following  resolutions: 

The  sad  intelligence  of  the  death  on  the  2d  of  January  last 
of  James  Longstreet,  the  senior  lieutenant-general  of  the  Con 
federate  States  army,  has  reached  us  since  our  last  regular  meet 
ing.  In  the  language  of  an  impartial  historian,  his  name  is 
"  associated  with  almost  every  Confederate  victory  won  upon 
the  soil  of  Virginia,"  and  he  "  was  trusted  by  his  great  leader 

and  idolized  by  his  men."     His  fame  is  gloriously  connected 

306 


RESOLUTIONS  BY  CAMPS  AND  CHAPTERS 

with  the  heroic  deeds  of  the  First  Corps  of  the  Army  of  Northern 
Virginia,  the  splendid  victory  at  Chickamauga,  and  the  East 
Tennessee  campaign;  and  those  who  fought  under  this  great 
fighter  have  always  entertained  for  him  feelings  of  affection  and 
regard;  therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  That  this  camp  has  heard  with  most  profound  sor 
row  of  the  death  of  Lieutenant-General  James  Longstreet,  of 
the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  who  bore  so  large  a  part  in 
making  glorious  that  immortal  band. 

Resolved,  That  we  tender  to  his  surviving  family  our  most 
sincere  sympathy,  and  that  a  copy  of  this  memorial  be  sent  to 
his  widow. 

Resolved,  That  a  blank  page  on  our  minute-book  be  dedi 
cated  to  his  memory. 

These  resolutions  were  heartily  seconded  by  Comrades  Jen 
nings,  Bruns,  Brooks,  and  Mixon,  and  adopted  by  a  rising 
unanimous  vote. 

(Confederate  Veterans'  Association.) 
"  No  wrong  to  mar  his  memory." 

WHEREAS,  By  the  death  of  Lieutenant-General  James  Long- 
street,  on  the  2d  day  of  January,  1904,  in  Gainesville,  Georgia, 
there  is  removed  from  our  midst  another  of  the  few  remaining 
of  our  great  captains,  over  whose  parting  we  sadly  lament ;  and 

WHEREAS,  In  common  with  other  surviving  veterans  who 
served  in  the  Confederate  armies  where  this  distinguished  dead 
soldier  commanded,  believing  in  the  broad  principles  of  truth, 
and  cherishing  a  feeling  of  fraternal  regard  for  each  other, 
and  being  at  the  same  time  reminded  that  by  his  death  we,  too, 
are  gradually,  but  surely,  drifting  nearer  to  the  brink  of  eter 
nity  ;  be  it  therefore 

Resolved,  That  we  who  espoused  the  cause  of  the  late  Con 
federacy  and  followed  its  destinies  to  the  end,  and  being  en 
dowed  with  a  high  sense  of  right  and  justice  towards  a  departed 
brother,  feel  it  a  duty  that  is  owing  to  posterity,  as  well  as  to 
ourselves,  to  look  well  to  future  history  that  no  wrong  be  done  to 
mar  the  memory  of  a  comrade,  be  he  ever  so  high  or  so  humble, 

who  served  his  chosen  cause  so  devotedly  and  ably  as  Longstreet 

307 


APPENDIX 

did  during  the  four  eventful  and  trying  years  from  1861  to 
1865. 

Resolved,  That  we  deeply  deplore  the  death  of  General  Long- 
street,  and  do  hereby  extend  to  the  bereaved  family  of  the  de 
ceased  the  most  sincere  and  heartfelt  sympathies  of  this  Asso 
ciation. 

Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  furnished  the 
family  of  the  deceased. 

THOS.  W.  HUNGERFORD, 

Secretary,  C.  V.  A. 
WASHINGTON,  D.  C. 


(Camp  Tige  Anderson.) 

"  His  heroic  and  valiant  services  will  be  remembered." 

ATLANTA,  GEORGIA,  January  5,  1904. 

The  following  resolutions  were  read  and  adopted  at  a  meeting 
of  Camp  Tige  Anderson,  January  5,  1904. 

WHEREAS,  This  Camp  has  heard  with  sincerest  regret  of  the 
death  of  our  lamented  comrade  General  James  Longstreet;  and 

WHEREAS,  We  recognize  and  remember  General  Longstreet's 
heroic  and  valiant  services  to  our  beloved  cause. 

Resolved,  That  we  will  revere  his  memory  as  one  of  the  best 
of  the  friends  of  the  South,  one  of  her  best  warriors  bold — one 
of  her  truest  sons. 

Resolved,  That  we  bow  with  uncovered  heads  at  the  Reaper's 
call. 

Resolved,  That  in  the  death  of  our  comrade  we  have  lost  a 
true  and  tried  friend,  and  while  the  majority  of  us  were  of  an 
averse  political  opinion  to  that  of  the  General,  yet  we  are  gener 
ous  enough  to  accord  him  the  right  and  the  fidelity  of  party 
affiliation,  particularly  so  when  we  believe  that  environments 
when  times  tried  men's  souls  were  a  terrific  pressure  brought  to 
bear  upon  him. 

As  a  Camp  and  as  individuals  our  prayer  is  that  our  late 
commander  may  "  requlescat  In  pace." 

Resolved,  That  our  commander  appoint  a  delegation  to  at 
tend  the  funeral  of  General  Longstreet,  at  Gainesville,  Georgia, 

to-morrow,  as  an  official  escort  from  this  Camp. 

308 


RESOLUTIONS  BY  CAMPS  AND  CHAPTERS 

Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  sent  by  our 
adjutant  to  the  family  of  our  deceased  comrade. 

H.  P.   FOSTER, 

Commander. 
SAM'L  FULTON, 

Adjutant. 

(Sidney  Lanier  Chapter.,  U.  D.  C.) 

"  We  will  teach  the  children  of  the  South  the  story  of  his  sublime  courage." 

MACON,  GEORGIA,  January  7,  1904. 
MRS.  JAMES  LONGSTREET: 

DEAR  MADAM, — The  Sidney  Lanier  Chapter,  No.  25,  U. 
D.  C.,  mourn  with  you  and  yours  over  the  loss  of  your  illus 
trious  husband.  We  tender  to  you  and  his  children  our  heart 
felt  sympathy,  and  promise  that  we  will  do  all  in  our  power 
to  teach  the  children  of  our  dear  Southland  the  story  of  his 
sublime  courage,  his  devotion  to  duty,  of  the  willingness  of  his 
men  to  follow  wherever  he  led. 

"The  strife  is  o'er,  the  battle  done, 
The  victory  of  Life  is  won." 

Faithfully  yours, 

ANNA  HOLMES  WILCOX, 

President. 

(Troy  Chapter,  U.  D.  C.) 
"  Reverence  and  esteem  for  the  soldier  and  gentleman." 

TROY,  ALABAMA,  January  10,  1904. 
MRS.  LONGSTREET, 

Gainesville,  Georgia: 

MY  DEAR  MADAM, — The  members  of  Troy  Chapter,  Alabama 
Division,  U.  D.  C.,  desire  that  you  should  learn  through  us  of 
our  deep  sympathy  in  your  late  bereavement.  We  feel  that  we 
have  sustained  a  personal  loss  in  the  death  of  your  noble  hus 
band,  and  would  convey  to  you  some  sense  of  our  reverence  and 
esteem  for  the  gallant  Confederate  general  and  honorable 
Southern  gentleman. 

To  us  the  memory  of  the  Confederacy  is  a  sacred  trust,  and 

for  the  men  who  made  its  history  we  entertain  an  unalterable 

309 


APPENDIX 

veneration.     For  General  Longstreet,  one  of  its  distinguished 
heroes,  we  feel  an  abiding  affection. 

That  God  will  bless  and  sustain  you  in  this  trying  ordeal  is 
the  prayer  of  the  united  Chapter. 

Sincerely  yours, 

MRS.  L.  H.  BOWHS. 
MRS.  JNO.  P.  HUBBARD. 

(Williamsburg  Chapter,  D.  of  C.) 
"  The  defender  of  our  homes." 

The  Williamsburg,  Virginia,  Chapter  of  the  Daughters  of 
the  Confederacy,  wishing  to  do  honor  to  the  eminent  soldier 
Lieutenant-General  James  Longstreet,  do  unanimously  resolve : 

1.  That  we  can  never  forget  that  on  the  5th  of  May,  1862, 
General  Longstreet  held  back  the  advance  of  the  Federal  army 
and  protected  our  homes  and  firesides  from  the  overwhelming 
forces  of  the  enemy,  as  he  marched  towards  the  Confederate 
capital. 

2.  That  at  his  grave  we  forget  all  political  differences  and 
remember  him  as  the  defender  of  our  homes  and  as  the  "  Old 
War-Horse"  of  the  great  commander. 

3.  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  sent  to  the  press  and 
another  to  Mrs.  Longstreet. 

MRS.  MARGARET  CUSTIS  HAVERFORD, 

Chairman, 

MRS.  I.  LESSLJER  HALL, 
MRS.  W.  L.  JONES, 

Committee. 

(Mobile  Chapter,  U.  D.  C.) 

"  His  great  name  and  fame  precious  to  Southern  hearts." 

MOBILE,  January  19,  1904. 
MY  DEAR  MRS.  LONGSTREET: 

At  a  recent  meeting  of  the  Mobile  Chapter,  Alabama  Di 
vision,  U.  D.  C.,  I  was  instructed  by  a  rising  vote  to  express 
to  you  the  affectionate  sympathy  of  the  members  of  the  Chapter, 
in  the  recent  great  bereavement  which  has  befallen  you  in  the 
death  of  your  distinguished  husband,  General  James  Long- 
street. 

310 


RESOLUTIONS  BY  CAMPS  AND  CHAPTERS 

In  this  bereavement  you  have  the  sympathy  of  every  Daugh 
ter  of  the  Confederacy,  who  in  unison  with  you  weep  the  great 
and  honored  dead. 

The  conspicuous  courage  and  heroic  gallantry  of  General 
Longstreet  on  many  a  hard-fought  battle-field,  his  never-failing 
devotion  to  the  Southland,  and  his  eminent  services  in  her  cause 
during  the  four  long  years  of  cruel  war  will  ever  render  dear 
and  precious  to  our  hearts  his  great  name  and  fame.  Among 
the  many  condolences  that  have  come  to  you  from  all  over  the 
South,  none  are  more  loving  and  heartfelt  than  those  of  the 
Mobile  Chapter,  whose  words  of  love  and  sympathy  I  have  been 
directed  to  express  to  you. 

In  giving  expression  to  their  grief  and  sorrow  at  the  great 
loss  which  touches  you  so  vitally,  may  I  venture  to  add  my  own 
personal  expression  of  admiration  for  your  great  husband,  and 
of  sympathetic  love  for  yourself. 

I  am,  with  great  respect,  yours  truly, 

ELECTRA  SEMMES  COLSTON, 

President. 


(T.  D.  Smith  Chapter,  U.  D.  C.) 
"  Always  true  to  his  convictions." 

DUBLIN,  GEORGIA,  January  18,  1904. 
To  MRS.  LONGSTREET  AND  FAMILY: 

The  Dublin  Chapter  of  the  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy 
wish  to  extend  to  you  and  yours  their  sincerest  sympathy,  which 
we,  as  well  as  the  entire  South,  feel  in  the  loss  of  one  of  her 
greatest  chieftains,  General  James  Longstreet.  In  his  death  the 
South  has  lost  a  noble,  heroic  son,  whose  deeds  will  live  in  the 
hearts  of  her  people,  a  soldier,  a  general  whose  brave  acts  have 
caused  every  child  of  the  South  to  honor,  love,  and  revere  his 
memory ;  a  hero  in  whom  the  "  elements  were  so  mixed  that 
Nature  might  stand  up  and  say  to  all  the  world,  this  is  a  man." 
True  to  his  convictions,  he  acted  always  after  careful  con 
sideration  as  his  judgment  has  shown  him  was  best. 

Miss  ADELINE  BAUM, 

For  the  T.  D.  Smith  Chapter  of  the  Daughters  of  Con 
federacy. 

311 


APPENDIX 


(Cobb  County,  Georgia,  Camp.) 
"  His  knightly  valor  won  for  him  a  diadem  of  glory." 

The  committee  appointed  to  give  some  appropriate  expression 
of  its  high  appreciation,  love,  and  honor  for  General  James 
Longstreet,  the  great  leader  of  Longstreet's  corps,  C.S.A.,  and 
of  our  deep  sorrow  at  his  death,  and  to  report  and  recommend 
suitable  action  by  this  Camp,  respectfully  submit  the  following: 

General  James  Longstreet  was  a  native  of  South  Carolina, 
born  of  an  illustrious  family,  distinguished  alike  for  intellectual 
strength  and  nobility  of  character.  His  love  for  his  native  State 
and  the  South  was  inherent  and  strengthened  by  associations, 
early  education,  and  environments.  In  keeping  with  his  natural 
tastes  and  fitness  for  his  chosen  profession,  his  education  was 
completed  at  the  military  school  of  the  United  States  at  West 
Point,  where  he  developed  that  strong  and  wonderful  intellectual 
power  of  perception,  combination,  and  comparison,  coupled  with 
cool  self-possession,  knightly  valor,  and  lofty  ambition,  which  in 
the  field  of  terrific  war  and  deadly  battle  won  for  him,  the  armies 
he  led,  and  the  Southern  Confederacy  his  diadem  of  glory,  as 
enduring  as  the  history  of  the  struggles  of  nations  in  freedom's 
cause. 

General  James  Longstreet  was  the  friend,  comrade,  and  com 
panion  of  the  matchless  Lee,  Generals  Joseph  E.  and  Albert 
Sidney  Johnston,  of  the  incomparable  Stonewall  Jackson,  Leoni- 
das  Polk,  John  B.  Gordon,  and  the  other  great  leaders  of  the 
Confederate  army;  and  was  inspired  with  the  same  love  of 
his  native  State  and  the  South. 

His  love  for  his  subalterns  and  privates  of  his  army  was  as 
true  and  sincere  as  that  of  father  to  son.  Many  of  the  mem 
bers  of  this  camp  knew  him  personally  in  the  tent  and  on  the 
march,  on  the  battle-field,  and  in  the  dreadful  charge ;  heard  his 
commands,  witnessed  his  noble  deeds,  and  listened  to  his  kind 
words  of  encouragement  and  sympathy.  He  was  our  comrade, 
our  friend,  and  our  great  leader,  and  there  is  a  sting,  a  sense  of 
bereavement,  which  finds  some  solace  in  the  flowing  tear  and  the 
glorious  hope  that  we  shall  meet  again.  He  was  a  Christian 

soldier. 

312 


RESOLUTIONS  BY  CAMPS  AND  CHAPTERS 

IN    MEMORIAM. 

Resolved,  That  we  regard  it  a  duty  which  we  owe  to  pos 
terity  that  the  State  of  Georgia,  all  surviving  Confederate 
veterans,  and  especially  those  of  Longstreet's  corps,  should  pro 
vide  an  equestrian  statue  of  General  Longstreet,  to  be  erected  on 
the  Capitol  grounds  at  Atlanta. 

Resolved,  That  a  committee  be  appointed  by  the  Commander 
of  this  camp  to  inaugurate  the  movement  and  take  all  necessary 
steps  to  secure  such  a  statue. 

Resolved,  That  Camp  No.  763,  U.  C.  V.,  tenders  to  the 
widow  and  family  of  our  beloved  chieftain  our  heart-felt  sym 
pathy  in  the  hour  of  their  bereavement  and  sorrow. 

Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  the  foregoing  be  forwarded  to  the 
family. 

Resolved,  That  the  action  of  the  Camp  be  published  in  the 
Cobb  County  papers. 

J.  A.  L.   BORN, 
W.  J.  MANNING, 
B.  A.  OSBORNE, 
L.  S.  Cox, 
WM.  PHILLIPS, 

Committee. 


(Atlanta  Camp.) 
"  His  name  and  fame  are  the  heritage  of  the  American  people." 

Atlanta  Camp,  No.  159,  United  Confederate  Veterans,  in  the 
following  report  pays  glowing  tribute  to  the  memory  of  the 
late  General  James  Longstreet,  who  died  on  January  2,  at  his 
home  in  Gainesville,  Georgia. 

In  the  death  of  General  James  Longstreet,  there  passed  away 
a  notable  and  commanding  figure  of  the  Army  of  Northern 
Virginia  in  the  late  Civil  War. 

His  history  and  service  are  indissolubly  connected  with  all 
of  the  great  movements  of  that  army. 

It  would  not  be  within  the  purview  of  this  memorial  to  attempt 
to  even  epitomize  the  part  he  took  in  the  many  great  battles. 
Coming  into  that  struggle  with  a  prestige  and  honor  which 

313 


APPENDIX 

shone  with  brilliant  lustre  on  account  of  his  intrepid  bravery 
and  gallantry  as  an  officer  of  the  army  of  the  United  States  on 
many  fields  in  Mexico,  and  being  withal  an  educated  and  trained 
soldier,  a  majestic  man,  of  mild  manners  and  speech  and  of 
leonine  courage,  his  very  name  throughout  the  army  and  the 
whole  country  was  a  tower  of  strength.  From  first  Manassas  to 
Appomattox,  his  command  and  leadership  held  the  first  place 
among  the  great  army  corps  of  the  greatest  army  that  was  ever 
marshalled  in  this  or  in  any  other  country.  Made  a  lieutenant- 
general  in  the  early  part  of  the  war,  the  conspicuous  bravery, 
skill,  and  reliability  shown  by  him  in  the  very  crisis  of  the 
battles  of  Williamsburg  and  at  Seven  Pines,  and  other  great 
conflicts  before  Richmond  in  1862,  won  for  him  from  General 
Lee  the  sobriquet  of  the  "  Old  War-Horse. " 

After  General  Lee  had  planned  the  advance  on  General  Pope, 
and  after  Jackson  had  passed  through  Thoroughfare  Gap  to 
the  rear  of  General  Pope,  and  when  he  was  heavily  engaged 
and  sorely  pressed,  Lee  and  Longstreet  were  passing  through 
Thoroughfare  Gap.  After  a  spirited  contest  at  that  moun 
tain-pass,  Longstreet's  corps  moved  like  a  majestic  stream  on 
to  the  plains  of  Manassas,  where  his  lines  were  quickly  formed. 
Striking  the  enemy  with  the  "  hand  of  Mars,"  the  thunder  of 
his  guns  greeted  the  ear  of  Jackson,  giving  hope  and  succor  to 
his  forces  as  the  sound  of  the  Scottish  bagpipes  heralded  the 
approach  of  the  relieving  column  to  the  beleaguered  garrison 
at  Lucknow.  The  well-directed  assault  which  he  made  in  Gen 
eral  Pope's  front  crowned  the  Southern  arms  with  complete 
victory. 

1.OYAI,    TO    THE    SOUTH. 

The  Southern  cause  had  no  more  loyal  supporter  nor  cour 
ageous  soldier  than  General  Longstreet,  as  the  honorable  wounds 
and  scars  which  he  carried  to  his  death  abundantly  attest.  He 
had  the  unbounded  confidence  of  his  commander-in-chief.  The 
history  of  that  great  war  gives  but  one  record  of  Longstreet 
being  absent  from  his  command,  and  that  was  on  account  of 
serious  wounds  received  on  the  field  of  the  Wilderness  in  May, 
1864,  where,  in  preparing  to  lead  in  person  his  forces  against 
General  Hancock's  corps,  he  momentarily  halted  to  receive  a 

word  of  congratulation  from  General  Micah  Jenkins,  of  South 

314 


RESOLUTIONS  BY  CAMPS  AND  CHAPTERS 

Carolina,  when  Longstreet's  own  men,  mistaking  these  two  gen 
erals,  with  the  little  group  of  horsemen  composing  their  staff 
surrounding  them,  for  the  enemy,  fired,  killing  General  Jenkins 
and  wounding  General  Longstreet  in  the  throat  and  shoulder, 
from  which  he  was  ever  afterwards  maimed. 

We  would  not  omit  to  mention  that  in  1863,  when  several  of 
his  divisions  were  ordered  from  Virginia  to  Georgia  to  reinforce 
the  Army  of  Tennessee,  on  his  arrival  in  Atlanta,  and  when 
at  the  old  Trout  House,  at  the  junction  of  Decatur  and  Pry  or 
Streets,  where  the  old  Austell  building  now  stands,  he  was 
called  to  the  balcony  of  the  hotel  to  speak  to  the  large  and 
enthusiastic  multitude  of  soldiers  and  citizens  who  thronged 
every  inch  of  the  two  streets,  he  said  "  I  came  not  to  speak ;  I 
came  to  meet  the  enemy."  The  inspiration  of  his  presence  and 
this  short  and  pithy  declaration  called  forth  from  the  assem 
bled  multitude  the  exclamation,  "  What  a  magnificent  looking 
man  and  soldier."  How  well  he  fulfilled  his  mission  in  the 
battle  of  Chickamauga  history  makes  no  mistake  in  its  record. 
How  his  forces  were  hurled  against  those  of  General  Thomas, 
and  how  his  army  turned  the  tide  of  battle  into  victory,  are  too 
well  known  to  need  repetition.  In  this  battle,  like  others  where 
he  led,  his  advance  was  stubborn  and  decisive. 

He  followed  with  unfaltering  bravery  and  devotion  the  for 
tunes  of  the  Confederacy  until  the  last  drama  was  enacted  at 
Appomattox,  and  was  a  member  of  the  last  council  of  war  held 
in  the  woods  on  the  night  of  April  8,  1865,  and  was  the  senior 
commissioner,  on  the  part  of  the  Confederate  forces  appointed 
by  the  commander-in-chief,  to  arrange  the  details  and  terms  of 
the  surrender  of  that  little  shattered  band  which,  through  fire 
and  smoke,  hunger  and  cold,  had  stood  by  the  flag  of  the  Con 
federacy  through  all  the  trying  ordeals  of  four  years'  grim 
and  bloody  strife. 

IN   THE   VERY    FIRST   RANK. 

The  name  and  fame  of  General  Longstreet  are  the  common 
heritage  of  the  South  and  the  whole  American  people.  The 
names  of  his  immediate  ancestors  are  historic  and  dear  especially 
to  every  Georgian.  His  qualities  as  a  soldier  have  won  for  him 

the  highest  encomiums  not  only  of  the   Southern  people,  but 

315 


APPENDIX 

from  the  Northern  people  as  well.  All  true  history,  including 
that  written  from  an  English  stand-point,  places  Longstreet 
in  the  very  first  rank  as  to  ability  and  generalship  among  any 
of  Lee's  subordinates. 

No  time  nor  mere  political  differences  can  affect  or  dim  the 
lustre  of  that  name.  The  past  is  secure,  the  future  is  safe.  We 
can  say  with  all  the  emphasis  that  the  words  import  that  he 
was  one  of  the  bravest,  truest,  safest,  and  the  most  devoted  of 
the  Confederate  leaders.  In  the  generations  to  come,  when 
passion  and  prejudice  shall  vanish  like  the  mists  of  the  morning 
at  the  presence  of  the  clear  sunlight  of  truth,  Longstreet's  name 
shall  receive  at  the  hands  of  the  entire  civilized  world  the  praise 
and  honor  to  which  it  is  justly  entitled. 

L.ONGSTREET    AND    DAVIS. 

We  may  be  permitted  to  refer  briefly  to  an  incident  that 
occurred  on  the  occasion  of  the  unveiling  of  the  Ben  Hill  monu 
ment  in  Atlanta.  Among  the  many  distinguished  ex-Confeder 
ate  chieftains  seated  on  the  platform  was  ex-President  Jefferson 
Davis.  General  Longstreet  came  down  from  his  home  in 
Gainesville,  clad  in  the  full  uniform  of  a  lieutenant-general  of 
the  Confederate  army,  wearing  his  sword.  Providing  himself 
with  a  superb  mount,  he  rode  out  Peachtree  Street  to  the  site 
of  the  monument,  and,  dismounting,  walked  unannounced  to  the 
platform  into  the  outstretched  arms  of  Jefferson  Davis.  As 
they  embraced  each  other,  they  presented  a  scene  worthy  of  the 
brush  of  a  Raphael  or  a  Rubens.  Once  heroes  in  common  vic 
tory,  they  were  now  heroes  in  common  defeat.  This  was  a  beauti 
ful  and  shining  example  for  all  latter  day  critics. 

This  silent  episode,  as  if  too  impressive  to  be  broken,  stilled 
the  vast  multitude  for  a  moment,  and  then  spontaneously  from 
forty  thousand  Confederate  veterans  and  citizens,  the  ladies 
joining  in  the  demonstration  by  waving  their  handkerchiefs, 
there  went  up  a  loud  and  continuous  shout  of  applause  that 
rent  the  air. 

Let  us  never  forget  the  four  years  of  glorious  service  ren 
dered  by  General  Longstreet  to  the  Lost  Cause,  and  let  the 
South  erect  a  monument  to  his  memory,  to  tell  to  future  genera 
tions  that  the  South  is  never  forgetful  or  indifferent  to  that 

316 


RESOLUTIONS  BY  CAMPS  AND  CHAPTERS 

glorious  service  rendered  in  the  cause  for  which  it  fought  and 
for  which  many  bled  and  died. 

General  Longstreet  died  in  Gainesville,  Georgia,  January  2, 
1904,  and  was  buried  with  military  honors  on  the  6th  day  of 
the  same  month.  A  detail  from  this  Camp,  as  well  as  detach 
ments  from  various  military  organizations,  joined  in  paying  the 
last  honor  to  the  old  soldier. 

Touching  and  beautiful  was  the  kindly  sympathy  shown  his 
memory  by  his  neighbors  in  Gainesville  who  were  bound  to 
him  by  ties  that  no  time  can  sever.  Never  was  a  funeral  more 
largely  attended  and  more  universal  respect  shown  to  the  dead 
by  the  entire  community  in  which  he  lived.  All  places  of  busi 
ness  were  closed.  The  Confederate  Veterans,  the  public  school 
children,  the  college  girls,  the  citizens,  all  joined  in  the  proces 
sion  which  followed  his  remains  to  beautiful  Alta  Vista,  where 
on  the  crown  of  the  hill  overlooking  the  far-away  Blue  Ridge 
was  laid  to  rest  all  that  is  mortal  of  the  old  battle-scarred  hero. 

BENJAMIN  F.  ABBOTT, 
GEORGE  HILLYER, 
J.  F.  EDWARDS, 

Committee. 

(Houston,  Georgia,  Camp.) 
"  His  war  structure  cannot  be  pulled  down." 

At  a  meeting  of  the  old  soldiers  of  Houston  County,  Georgia, 
to  commemorate  the  birth  of  the  immortal  Lee,  and  also,  by 
previous  arrangement,  to  take  cognizance  and  condolence  of  the 
death  of  General  Longstreet,  under  whom  many  of  these  old 
soldiers  served  throughout  the  war,  the  following  resolutions 
were  submitted  and  unanimously  adopted: 

Resolved,  That  in  the  death  of  General  James  Longstreet 
we  sustain  the  loss  of  one  of  the  most  valiant  and  capable  soldier 
commanders  of  the  "  Lost  Cause." 

Resolved,  That  while  during  the  gigantic  war  and  struggle 
between  the  States,  General  Lee  regarded  him  as  almost  a  part 
of  himself,  "  My  old  war-horse,"  in  the  carrying  out  and  accom 
plishments  of  apparently,  at  times,  the  impossible  against  and 

over  the  enemy. 

317 


APPENDIX 

We  view  him  as  from  behind  the  guns,  and  under  those  con 
flicts  whose  fierceness  and  terrible  results  were  sufficient  to 
stagger,  and  even  turn  back,  the  stoutest  manhood,  yet  we 
never  saw  him  evince  the  least  fear,  turn  his  back  in  dishonor, 
nor  disobey  his  noble  chieftain. 

His  war  structure  shows  the  hand  of  no  ordinary  builder,  and 
cannot  be  pulled  down. 

He  carved  his  way  through  the  ranks  of  the  enemy  in  such 
a  fashion  that  they  themselves,  and  their  descendants,  admire 
the  man  for  his  great  military  ability;  nor  can  they  be  less 
thrilled  by  that  chivalry  and  Americanism  he  and  so  many 
others,  equally  valorous  and  capable,  displayed  and  forged  for 
conscience'  sake,  thus  awakening  and  holding  the  world  as  never 
before  in  any  age. 

This  was  General  James  Longstreet  as  we  saw  him  then,  and, 
without  superficiality,  as  we  see  him  to-day,  through  our  vanish 
ing  memories  and  waning  manhoods,  one  of  the  greatest  soldiers 
who  crossed  swords  with  the  many  gallant  spirits  of  the  other 
side — brother  Americans — over  a  principle  which  did  not,  and, 
thank  God,  could  not  die — a  gift  of  God  to  humanity  to  stand 
for  the  right,  fight  for  the  right,  and  die  for  the  right,  even 
though  in  failure,  that  others  may  profit  by  it. 

Resolved,  That  we  regret  to  have  to  antagonize  and  reprove 
even  one  Chapter  of  that  great,  good,  and  soulful  organization, 
known  as  the  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy,  but  we  can  neither 
endorse  the  spirit  and  sentiment,  nor  the  statement  made  by  that 
Savannah  Chapter  that  "  General  Longstreet  disobeyed  Gen 
eral  Lee's  order  at  the  battle  of  Gettysburg." 

Resolved,  That  we  believe,  and  would  advise,  that  the  life 
and  future  good  of  that  great  organization  lies  in  the  thorough 
education  of  its  Chapters  to  correct  history,  and  a  proper  ap 
preciation  of  the  spirit  and  tenets  of  the  order — a  proper 
observance  of  its  constitution. 

Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  sent  to  Mrs. 
Longstreet,  carrying  with  it,  as  it  does,  a  sympathy,  love,  and 
sorrow  such  as  only  can  be  given  by  old  soldiers  bronzed  by 
the  same  smoke,  buffeted  by  the  same  battles,  and  scarred  by  the 
same  fury  through  which  he  passed  for  the  love  of  home  and 
country,  for  the  love  of  truth,  and  for  the  love  of  a  "  cause" 

318 


RESOLUTIONS  BY  CAMPS  AND  CHAPTERS 

then  dearer  than  even  life  itself,  and  for  which  so  many  gallant 
spirits  went  down. 

Resolved,  That  the  Home  Journal  be  requested  to  publish 
these  proceedings. 

Respectfully  submitted, 

W.  H.  NORWOOD. 
C.  C.  DUNCAN, 

Commander  Post  880,  presiding. 
J.  D.  MARTIN, 

Adjutant. 

(Survivors  of  Longstreet's  Corps.) 
"  History  will  give  him  that  which  is  due." 

Another  set  of  resolutions,  showing  the  esteem  in  which 
Longstreet's  men  held  the  dead  general,  and  the  love  that  they 
bear  for  him,  were  drawn  up  yesterday  by  Mr.  A.  K.  Wilson, 
who  was  a  member  of  Longstreet's  corps,  and  were  signed  by 
the  veterans  in  the  city,  who,  like  Mr.  Wilson,  had  been  fol 
lowers  of  the  dead  leader.  The  resolutions  were  as  follows: 

COMRADES, — Our  comrade  and  our  leader  has  left  us.  He 
has  gone  to  join  the  hosts  on  the  other  side  of  the  great  river, 
and  we  that  followed  him  at  the  Manassases,  Thoroughfare  Gap, 
Yorktown,  Fairfax,  Falls  Church,  Munson's  and  Upton's  Hills, 
the  Wilderness,  where  he  received  that  wound  said  to  be  from 
his  own  men;  Williamsburg,  Sharpsburg,  to  Tennessee; 
Chickamauga,  Knoxville,  Lookout  Mountain,  Missionary  Ridge, 
back  to  Virginia,  and  on  all  the  great  fields  on  her  soil,  testify 
to  his  worth.  With  his  corps  back  to  Virginia,  see  him  as 
he  appeared  at  Petersburg,  and  countless  other  places  of  trust. 
Lastly,  with  his  ragged,  half-starved,  barefooted  remnant, 
bearing  scars  as  he  bore  them,  see  him  as  he  approaches  Appo- 
mattox,  his  men  drawing  but  one  ear  of  corn  for  a  day's  rations. 

My  comrades,  he  needs  no  emblems.  History  in  time  will  give 
to  him  that  which  is  due,  and  those  that  were  with  him,  his 
survivors,  will  ever  hold  his  memory  green.  Like  ourselves,  his 
services  at  Appomattox  show  to  the  world  that  he  was  ever  faith 
ful  to  his  enlistment  and  true  to  the  cause  that  he  espoused,  and 

his  parting  with  Lee  establishes  that  fact.    Now,  be  it 

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APPENDIX 

Resolved,  That  we,  the  survivors  of  Longstreet's  corps,  ten 
der  to  his  bereaved  family  our  heartfelt  sympathy,  showing 
the  love  and  esteem  that  we  had  for  our  dear  old  leader. 

SURVIVORS  OF  LONGSTREET'S  CORPS. 

SAVANNAH,  GEOKGIA. 


{Camp  Hardee.) 

"Longstreet  more  often  than  any  other  subordinate  was  trusted  with 
independent  commands." 

To  Camp  Hardee,  Confederate  Veterans,  Birmingham,  Ala 
bama: 

Your  committee,  appointed  to  report  resolutions  commemo 
rative  of  the  life  and  service  of  the  late  Lieutenant-General 
James  Longstreet,  recommends  the  following: 

Resolved,  That  in  the  testimony  of  the  estimate  of  old  sol 
diers  of  his  life  and  services  to  the  South  in  the  great  war 
between  the  States  Camp  Hardee  adopt  the  following  state 
ment: 

General  Longstreet,  a  South  Carolinian  by  birth,  a  graduate 
of  the  West  Point  Military  Academy  as  a  cadet  from  Alabama, 
while  assured  of  position  in  the  Federal  army,  resigned  the 
commission  he  held  in  an  established  service  to  enter  the  unor 
ganized,  poorly  equipped  army  of  the  Confederacy,  and  under 
took  all  the  arduous  duties  and  dangers  of  that  war,  and 
fought  it  out  to  the  disastrous  end. 

From  the  time  of  his  appointment  as  brigadier-general  under 
Beauregard  along  the  line  of  Bull  Run  Creek,  in  July,  1861, 
to  the  surrender  at  Appomattox  in  April,  1865,  he  was  distin 
guished  as  a  stalwart,  skilful  commander  and  a  gallant  soldier. 
He  was  remarkable  for  staying  qualities  rather  than  for  dash. 

In  all  that  brave  service  there  was  nothing  spectacular,  but 
he  was  always  steadfast,  true,  and  reliable. 

Whatever  may  have  been  said  of  General  Longstreet,  it  is 
remarkable  that  at  no  time  for  inefficiency  or  the  absence  of 
results  or  disobedience  of  order  was  he  relieved  of  his  command. 
No  other  subordinate  was  so  often  intrusted  with  independent 
and  difficult  enterprises.  Now  that  death  has  silenced  all  com 
plaints  and  the  great  commander  has  gone  to  his  reward,  we 

320 


RESOLUTIONS  BY  CAMPS  AND  CHAPTERS 

who  survive  him  desire  to  crown  his  memory  with  the  degree 
of  praise  which  his  great  deeds  wrought  in  behalf  of  his  people 
so  richly  deserve.  As  a  soldier  he  was  wholly  faithful  to  the 
South,  and  for  that  fidelity  merits  the  grateful  appreciation  of 
our  people.  Such  a  great  soul  needs  no  defence.  Time  will 
cover  with  its  mantle  whatever  has  been  charged  as  his  faults. 
It  may  be  that  in  the  great  conservatism  of  his  nature  he  saw 
more  clearly  what  was  best  for  his  country.  In  this  hour  of 
bereavement  let  us  only  remember  that  a  great  and  gallant  spirit 
has  gone  to  his  reward;  and  therefore, 

Resolved,  That  this  memorial  be  spread  on  the  minutes  of 
the  camp,  and  a  copy  be  sent  to  the  widow  of  the  dead  general 
with  the  assurance,  in  this  hour  of  her  great  bereavement,  she 
has  the  sympathy  of  Camp  W.  J.  Hardee. 

J.  W.  BUSH. 

W.  C.  WARD. 

W.  H.  DENSON. 

(Camp  No.  135.) 
"  Hardest  fighter  in  the  army." 

Comrades,  we  assemble  to  pay  tribute  to  the  memory  of 
Lieutenant-General  Longstreet,  one  of  our  great  chieftains. 
For  him  "  taps  have  sounded,"  "  lights  are  out,"  and  "  all  is 
still."  This  fearless  leader  is  gone.  He  was  the  "  hard  fighter" 
of  Northern  Virginia,  and  his  opponents  always  knew  when  he 
was  in  their  front  or  directing  the  assault.  He  had  the  con 
fidence  of  his  men,  and  they  loved  him.  He  led  them  but  to 
victory.  The  South  admired  and  trusted  him.  His  name  is 
enshrined  with  that  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  and 
when  her  history  shall  be  gathered  and  cast  into  final  form, 
honorable  will  be  the  place  assigned  to  our  great  general. 

We  would  therefore  recommend  the  adoption  of  the  following 
tribute  of  esteem  and  respect : 

WHEREAS,  Lieutenant-General  Longstreet  recently  passed 
away  at  his  home  in  Gainesville,  Georgia,  and  was  buried  amid 
the  regrets  and  tears  of  many  who  had  gathered  from  different 
parts  of  our  Southland  to  pay  the  respect  due  his  illustrious 

name ;   therefore  be  it 

21  321 


APPENDIX 

Resolved,  That  we  bow  our  heads  unto  Him  who  is  the  author 
and  finisher  of  our  career,  and  acknowledge  that,  while  we  can 
not  always  understand,  yet  we  know  that  He  doeth  all  things 
well. 

Resolved,  That  the  comrades  of  Camp  No.  135,  Confederate 
Veterans,  have  heard  with  sorrow  and  regret  of  the  death  of 
this  brave  general  and  fearless  commander. 

Resolved,  Educated  in  the  profession  of  arms,  he  gave  the 
best  years  of  his  life  to  the  service  of  his  country.  For  twenty- 
five  years  prior  to  the  action  which  necessitated  his  State  severing 
her  connection  with  the  Union,  he  most  valiantly  drew  his  sword 
in  her  defence.  Through  the  Mexican  War  and  during  the 
continuous  troubles  with  the  Indians  on  our  Western  plains  his 
services  were  so  conspicuous  for  gallantry  that  he  attained  the 
rank  of  major. 

Resolved,  When  his  State  could  no  longer  remain  in  the 
Union,  but  withdrew,  he  resigned  his  commission,  and  cast  his 
lot  with  that  of  his  State.  As  he  had  been  gallant  and  suc 
cessful  in  the  army  of  the  Union,  he  now  became  more  so  in 
the  army  of  the  Confederacy.  The  enlarged  opportunities  fur 
nished  what  his  great  ability  needed.  From  the  rank  of  major 
he  rose  rapidly  to  that  of  lieutenant-general  and  second  in  com 
mand  to  our  peerless  Lee.  As  brigadier-general  at  Manassas  he 
engaged  the  left  wing  of  the  enemy  with  the  result  that  is 
familiar  to  all  of  us.  As  major-general  he  was  selected  to 
cover  Johnston's  retreat  in  the  Peninsula.  He  won  Williams- 
burg  and  was  at  Seven  Pines.  For  his  service  in  the  Seven  Days' 
fight  around  Richmond  Congress  rewarded  him  with  the  rank 
of  senior  lieutenant-general  and  second  in  command  of  all  the 
Confederate  forces.  He  was  at  the  second  Manassas  with  Jack 
son,  and  at  South  Mountain.  At  Sharpsburg  he  was  knighted 
"  War-Horse"  by  his  chieftain.  Fredericksburg,  Gettysburg, 
Chickamauga,  and  the  Wilderness  felt  his  presence ;  while  Peters 
burg,  Five  Forks,  and  Appomattox  beheld  his  gallantry.  Com 
rades,  we  knew  him,  we  loved  him,  we  trusted  him.  To-day  we 
would  pay  him  his  tribute;  believing  him  to  be  worthy  to  be 
placed  beside  Lee,  Albert  Sidney  and  Joseph  E.  Johnston, 
and  Jackson. 

Resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  spread  upon  the  minutes 

322 


RESOLUTIONS  BY  CAMPS  AND  CHAPTERS 

of  our  Camp,  copies  be  furnished  each  of  our  county  papers 
for  publication,  and  that  a  copy  be  sent  to  Mrs.  Longstreet, 
together  with  expressions  of  our  sympathy  by  the  adjutant. 

J.  W.  SHERRILL. 

W.  H.  MORGAN. 

R.  L.  SUGGS. 


(John  B.  Hood  Camp.) 
"  Oblivion  will  shut  out  those  who  assail  his  great  name." 

To  the  Officers  and  Members  of  John  B.  Hood  Camp,  No. 
103,  U.  C.  V.: 

COMRADES, — We,  your  committee,  appointed  at  a  meeting 
held  this  day  to  draft  resolutions  upon  the  death  of  Lieutenant- 
General  James  Longstreet,  late  commander  of  the  First  Corps, 
Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  beg  leave  to  submit  the  following: 

WHEREAS,  It  having  pleased  the  Deity  to  call  our  great  com 
mander  to  cross  over  the  river  and  take  permanent  position  with 
the  majority  of  his  old  comrades  who  have  preceded  him;  there 
fore,  be  it 

Resolved,  That  in  the  death  of  General  Longstreet  we  realize 
the  loss  of  the  senior  and  last  surviving  lieutenant-general  of  the 
Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  and  while  freighted  with  the  events 
of  eighty-three  years,  and  suffering  from  the  effects  of  many 
wounds  received  in  battle,  still  he  bore  up  with  a  fortitude  be 
coming  his  great  spirit. 

Resolved,  That  in  his  character  we  recognize  the  true  patriot 
and  soldier,  devotion  to  duty,  and  a  genius  which  added  glory 
to  our  arms  and  inspired  faith  in  our  cause. 

Resolved,  That  in  the  remotest  history  his  achievements  will 
be  appreciated  with  all  the  glory  that  came  to  us  during  that 
bloody  drama,  while  oblivion  will  shut  out  those  who  would 
assail  his  fair  name. 

Resolved,  That  to  his  family  we  tender  sincere  condolence, 
with  the  assurance  that  his  kind  consideration  for  his  men, 
courtly  bearing,  and  bravery  will  ever  have  a  place  in  the  mem 
ory  of  the  survivors  of  his  command,  who  followed  him  from 

the  first  Manassas  to  Appomattox. 

323 


APPENDIX 

Resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  spread  upon  the  minutes 
of  this  camp;  the  adjutant  to  forward  a  copy  to  the  family, 
and  that  the  State  press  be  requested  to  publish  same. 

J.     D.     ROBERDEAU. 

VAL,  C.  GILES. 
W.  R.  HAMBY. 
C.  F.  DOHINE. 


(John  B.  Gordon  Chapter,  U.  D.  C.) 
"  As  gallant  a  soldier  as  wore  the  gray." 

WETTJMPKA,  ALABAMA,  January  12,  1904. 

WHEREAS,  The  Ruler  of  the  Universe  has  seen  fit  to  call  from 
his  earthly  home  the  spirit  of  General  Longstreet,  and  take 
him  to  his  home  on  high,  as  a  bright  reward  for  his  faithfulness 
and  fidelity  here  in  life.  General  Longstreet  was  as  brave  and 
gallant  a  soldier  as  wore  the  gray  during  the  fierce  struggle  of 
the  South.  He  was  known  and  loved  throughout  this  fair  sunny 
Southland,  not  only  as  a  soldier  and  general  who  so  gallantly 
and  fearlessly  led  his  men  in  the  Southern  cause,  but  as  a  true 
and  noble  man,  and  when  his  final  summons  came  and  he  laid 
down  his  earthly  armor  for  a  heavenly  crown,  it  cast  a  shadow 
over  all  the  South,  that  another  of  her  brave  generals  who  had 
so  nobly  defended  her  cause  was  no  more. 

But  since  he  has  left  us  and  is  no  more  among  his  family, 
comrades,  and  friends,  be  it 

Resolved,  That  this  Chapter  of  the  Daughters  of  the  Con 
federacy  regrets  with  deepest  sorrow  the  death  of  General  Long- 
street,  and  through  this  little  tribute  to  his  memory  expresses 
its  deepest  and  sincerest  sympathy. 

Resolved,  That  his  State  and  nation  has  lost  a  grand  and  noble 
man,  the  Southern  cause  a  gallant  and  fearless  soldier. 

Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  placed  on  the 
minute-book  of  the  Chapter  and  a  copy  be  sent  to  General  Long- 
street's  family. 

MRS.  S.  J.  McMoRRis. 
MRS.  W.  H.  GREGORY. 
Miss  FANNY  GOKON. 

324 


RESOLUTIONS  BY  CAMPS  AND  CHAPTERS 

(George  W.  Johnson  Camp.) 
"  True  and  faithful  to  every  duty." 

At  a  meeting  of  the  George  W.  Johnson  Camp,  Confederate 
Veterans'  Association  of  Kentucky,  to  take  in  consideration  the 
death  of  Lieutenant-General  James  Longstreet,  the  following 
resolutions  were  reported  and  adopted: 

Resolved,  That  in  the  death  of  General  Longstreet  has  passed 
from  the  stage  of  action  one  of  the  central  and  most  prominent 
figures  of  our  late  war. 

Resolved,  In  him  we  recognized  one  of  the  ablest  and  most  gal 
lant  soldiers  of  the  lost  cause. 

Resolved,  As  commander  of  one  of  the  corps  of  the  Army  of 
Northern  Virginia  his  name  is  inseparably  connected  with  the 
glory  that  rightly  gathers  about  the  achievements  of  that  im 
mortal  organization. 

Resolved,  True  and  faithful  to  his  every  conviction  of  duty, 
and  unswerving  in  his  devotion  to  his  country  and  people  in 
the  hour  of  their  supremest  trial  and  need,  his  name  deserves 
to  be  enrolled  among  the  immortals  of  our  Southland. 

Resolved,  That  we  extend  to  the  bereaved  family  our  deepest 
sympathy,  and  that  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  sent  to  the 
family  and  to  the  Confederate  Veteran. 

A.  H.  SINCLAIR, 

Commander. 
ELLEY  BLACKBURN, 

Adjutant. 

(Tennessee  Division,  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy.) 

"  Mankind  will  find  no  brighter  page  of  history  than  that  written  by 
Longstreet's  corps." 

Resolutions  of  the  Tennessee  Division  of  the  Daughters  of 
the  Confederacy: 

Entered  into  rest  January  2,  1904,  at  his  home  in  Gainesville, 
Georgia,  surrounded  by  his  family,  consisting  of  his  wife  and 
five  children,  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty-three  years,  Lieu 
tenant-General  James  Longstreet. 

A  graduate  of  West  Point,  one  of  the  heroes  of  the  Mexican 

War,  where  he  was  desperately  wounded,  in  storming  Cheru- 

325 


APPENDIX 

busco,  and  where  he  was  twice  brevetted  for  gallantry  on  the 
field  of  battle, — once  as  captain,  for  Churubusco,  and  again  as 
major,  for  Molino  del  Rey, — a  professional  soldier  in  the  army 
of  the  United  States,  the  highest  in  rank  from  the  State  of 
Alabama  at  the  time  of  the  secession  of  that  State,  he  resigned 
from  the  United  States  army,  tendered  his  sword  to  Alabama, 
and  from  thenceforward  was  identified  with  the  South  in  her 
immortal  struggle  for  the  right  of  local  self-government,  guar 
anteed  to  her  in  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  and  as 
laid  down  in  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  from  Bull  Run 
to  Appomattox,  and,  at  its  close,  was  recognized  as  "  the  left 
arm  of  Lee." 

Since  his  death,  his  record  as  a  soldier  has  been  criticised,  at 
a  time  when  he  cannot  defend  himself,  but  we  congratulate 
the  people  of  the  South  and  the  future  historian  that  the 
Congress  of  the  Confederate  States,  February  17,  1864,  passed 
unanimously  resolutions  thanking  Lieutenant-General  Long- 
street  and  his  command  for  their  patriotic  services  and  brilliant 
achievements  in  Virginia,  Maryland,  Pennsylvania,  Georgia, 
and  Tennessee,  and  participating  in  nearly  every  great  battle 
fought  in  those  States,  the  commanding  general  ever  displaying 
great  ability,  skill,  and  prudence  in  command,  and  the  officers 
and  men  the  most  heroic  bravery,  fortitude,  and  energy  in 
every  duty  that  they  have  been  called  upon  to  perform. 

This  resolution  was  approved  by  Jefferson  Davis,  and  was 
adopted  on  the  recommendation  of  the  commanding  general  of 
the  army  of  the  Confederate  States  of  America,  the  immortal 
Robert  E.  Lee.  After  the  adoption  of  these  resolutions,  nothing 
which  we  can  say  could  add  to  his  soldier's  record.  He  needs 
no  defence.  We  consign  his  name  to  history;  so  long  as  man 
kind  reads  it,  they  will  find  no  brighter  page  than  that  written 
by  Longstreet's  corps. 

He  illustrated  the  South  in  a  long  life,  the  best  years  of  it 
devoted  to  her  and  her  cause,  he  sacrificed  to  serve  her  as  much 
as  any  other  one  man,  he  fought  a  score  of  battles  for  her,  and 
never  one  against  her,  and  this  State,  over  his  grave,  mingle  their 
tears  with  those  of  the  people  whom  he  served  and  the  devoted 
family  who  survive  him ;  therefore 

Resolved,    That    the    Army    of    the    Confederate    States    of 

326 


RESOLUTIONS  BY  CAMPS  AND  CHAPTERS 

America  is  rapidly  passing  to  the  Great  Beyond,  leaving  a  record, 
a  part  of  the  history  of  the  American  people,  to  which  we  point 
with  pride,  and  to  which  in  a  few  generations  civilized  man  will 
look,  and  admit  that  it  illustrated  the  highest  type  of  American 
citizenship. 

Resolved,  That  we  extend  our  sympathies  to  the  surviving 
family  of  General  Longstreet  and  to  the  South,  at  his  death,  and 
that  a  copy  of  the  foregoing  preamble  and  resolutions  be  fur 
nished  to  his  family  and  to  the  press. 

Miss  KATE  FORT,  Chairman. 

MRS.  JAMES  P.  SMARTT. 

MRS.  M.  H.  CLIFT. 

MRS.  WM.  G.  OEHMIG,  President. 

"  Longstreet's  magnificent  service  at  Gettysburg  gives  that  field  the  great 
place  it  holds  in  history  to-day." 

As  one  of  his  defenders,  in  the  interest  of  truth,  justice,  and 
fairness,  having  participated  in  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  Penn 
sylvania,  in  Pegram's  battery,  A.  P.  Hill's  corps,  and  knowing, 
from  frequent  visits  to  that  sanguinary  field  since  the  engage 
ment,  something  about  what  occurred  on  that  eventful  occasion, 
I  can  confidently  say  that  General  Longstreet  and  those  under 
him  performed  such  grand  and  magnificent  service  on  that 
battle-field  as  to  give  it  the  great  and  important  place  it  holds 
in  history  to-day.  We  never  knew  that  it  was  otherwise  ques 
tioned  until  after  the  war.  Future  history  will  vindicate  his 
character  in  his  course  on  that  field  and  everywhere  else  where 
duty  called  him  during  the  eventful  period  from  '61  to  '65. — 

JOHN  T.  CALI.AGHAN,  Vice-President  Confederate  Association. 
WASHINGTON,  D.  C. 

(Encampment  No.  5,  Union  Veteran  Legion,  New  Castle, 
Pennsylvania. ) 

"  A  brave,  generous,  and  great  man." 

Resolved,  That  the  death  of  Lieutenant-General  James  Long- 
street  has  caused  the  loss  to  the  nation  of  a  brave,  generous,  and 
great  man.  None  knew  his  bravery  or  his  greatness  as  a  com 
mander  better  than  we  of  the  Union  Veteran  Legion  who  often 


APPENDIX 

met  him  on  fields  that  tested  to  the  limit  the  fighting  qualities 
of  the  American. 

We  extend  to  his  wife  and  family  our  sympathy  in  their 
bereavement,  and  the  assurance  of  our  great  respect  for  their 
lost  one. 

SAMUEL  F.  ELLISON, 

Colonel  Commanding. 
GEORGE  W.  GAGEBY, 

Adjutant. 

(George  E.  PicJcett  Camp.} 

"  In  nearly  all  the  leading  battles  of  the  South  there  was  Longstreet  to 
lead  his  men  to  fame  and  glory." 

January  25,  1904. 

To  the  Officers  and  Members  of  George  E.  Pickett  Camp,  C.  V. : 
Your  committee  appointed  on  resolutions  relative  to  the  death 
of  Lieutenant-General  Longstreet  desire  to  have  it  placed  on 
record,  that  we,  the  survivors  of  Confederate  Veterans,  lost  in 
the  recent  death  of  General  Longstreet  one  of  our  best  and 
bravest  officers,  under  whose  command  the  Army  of  Northern 
Virginia  gained  its  reputation  as  the  grandest  fighting  army  the 
world  ever  produced.  At  Bull  Run,  Williamsburg,  Seven  Pines, 
Second  Manassas,  Boonboro,  Sharpsburg,  Fredericksburg,  and 
in  nearly  all  of  the  principal  battles  and  victories  of  the  South, 
there  was  Longstreet  to  lead  his  men  to  fame  and  glory. 

We  therefore  express  our  sentiment  that  in  the  death  of  Gen 
eral  Longstreet  we  have  lost  a  true  and  good  Confederate,  loyal 
to  the  cause  for  which  he  bled  and  fought. 

Resolved,  That  we  extend  our  heartfelt  sympathy  to  his  widow 
and  family,  and  that  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  spread  on 
our  minutes. 

CHAS.  T.  LOEHR, 
WM.  E.  TALLEY, 
W.  U.  BASS, 

Committee. 

Adopted  by  vote  of  camp  and  copy  ordered  sent  to  Mrs. 
General  James  Longstreet. 

R.  N.  NORTHEN, 
Adjutant  No.  204,  N.  C.  V.  S. 

328 


RESOLUTIONS  BY  CAMPS  AND  CHAPTERS 

(John  Bowie  Strange  Camp.) 

"  Those  who   followed  Ixmgstreet  in  the  fitful  fever  of  war  ever  had 
confidence  in  his  ability,  courage,  and  fidelity." 

The  John  Bowie  Strange  Camp  of  Confederate  Veterans  of 
Charlottesville,  Virginia,  assembled  in  special  meeting  for  the 
purpose,  desire  to  spread  on  their  record  a  tribute  to  the  mem 
ory  of  James  Longstreet,  lieutenant-general  in  the  armies  of  the 
Confederate  States,  whose  death  has  been  recently  announced. 
The  Virginians  who  served  under  him  in  the  great  Civil  War 
recognize  his  splendid  ability  as  a  corps  commander,  his  daunt 
less  courage,  and  the  absolute  confidence  reposed  in  him  by  that 
immortal  band  of  Southerners  who  will  go  down  in  history 
wreathed  in  immortal  fame  as  Longstreet's  corps  in  the  Army  of 
Northern  Virginia.  This  camp,  a  large  proportion  of  whose 
members  belonged  to  regiments  and  organizations  led  by  him  in 
the  Virginia  campaigns,  wish  to  record  the  fact  that  whatever 
criticisms  may  have  been  passed  upon  his  conduct  on  crucial 
occasions,  yet  those  who  followed  him  in  the  fitful  fever  of  war 
ever  had  confidence  in  his  fidelity,  his  loyalty,  and  his  devotion 
to  the  Southern  cause ;  and  along  with  other  comrades  from  the 
South  who  followed  him  on  the  line  of  danger,  they  had  absolute 
faith  in  his  splendid  courage  and  ability  as  their  commander. 
It  is  an  historical  fact  that  he  so  possessed  the  confidence  of  our 
immortal  leader,  R.  E.  Lee,  the  commander-in-chief  of  the  Con 
federate  forces,  that  he  continued  him  in  command  as  lieutenant- 
general  until  the  fateful  day  of  Appomattox,  when  in  the  ex 
piring  crisis  of  the  Confederacy  Longstreet  and  his  corps  of 
Southerners  were  in  line  of  battle,  ready  and  willing  to  risk  and 
lay  down  their  lives  in  defence  of  the  South,  until  ordered  by 
their  great  chieftain  to  sheath  their  swords,  stack  their  guns, 
and  fur]  their  flags. 

Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  published  in  the 
local  papers  and  also  be  sent  to  the  bereaved  widow  of  this  dis 
tinguished  Southerner. 

MICAJAH  WOODS, 
GEORGE  L.  PETRIE, 
J.  M.  MURPHY, 

Committee. 
329 


APPENDIX 

* 

The  foregoing  resolutions,  presented  by  the  committee  ap 
pointed  for  the  purpose,  were  unanimously  passed  by  the  John 
Bowie  Strange  Camp  of  Confederate  Veterans  at  Charlottesville, 
Virginia.  Witness  the  signature  of  H.  Clay  Michie,  com 
mander  of  said  Camp,  and  attested  by  W.  N.  Wood,  Adjutant 
and  Secretary  of  said  Camp. 

H.  CLAY  MICHIE, 

Commander. 

This  12th  day  of  January,  1904. 
W.  N.  WOOD, 

Adjutant  and  Secretary. 


330 


WHITE  HOUSE 

WASHINGTON.  jaae  7,  1004. 


My  dear  Mrs.  Longstreet: 

Permit  me  to  subscribe  for  the  book  you  have  Just  writ 
ten,  on  the  work  of  your  gallant  husband.   General  Sickles 
has  Just  called  my  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  book  is  to 
be  published.   Not  only  must  all  Americans  hold  high  the 
memory  of  your  husband  as  one  of  the  illustrious  captains  of 
the  Civil  War,  but  they  must  hold  it  high  particularly  "bo cause 
of  the  fine  and  high-souled  patriotism  which  made  him.  Then 
the  war  was  ended,  as  staunchly  loyal  to  the  Union  as  he  had 
been  loyal  to  the  cause  for  which  he  fought  during  the  war 
itself.   In  his  letter  to  General  Sickles,  in  speaking  of 
the  part  the  General  played  in  winning  the  victory  of  Gettys 
burg  for  the  Union  cause,  General  Longstreet  wrote; 

"It  was  the  sorest  and  saddest  reflection  of  my  life 
for  many  years;  but,  to-day,  I  can  say,  with  sincerest  emo 
tion,  that  it  was  and  is  the  best  that  could  have  come  to  us 


all,  North  and  South;  and  I  hope  that  the  nation,  re 
united,  may  always  enjoy  the  honor  and  glory  "brought  to 
it  "by  that  grand  work.." 

This  is  the  spirit  that  gives  us  all,  North  and 
South,  East  and  West,  the  right  to  face  the  future  with 
the  confident  hope  that  never  again  -will  we  be  disunited, 
and  that  while  united  no  force  of  evil  can  ever  prevail 
against  us. 

With  great  regard, 

Sincerely  yours, 


Mrs.  James  Longstreet, 

Gainesville,  Georgia. 


PERSONAL  LETTERS 


PERSONAL  LETTERS 

"  Every  inch  a  man." 

NEW  YORK,  January  12,  1904. 
MRS.  JAMES  LONGSTREET, 

Gainesville,  Georgia : 

MY  DEAR  MRS.  LONGSTREET, — Permit  me  to  offer  my  sym 
pathies  in  your  great  bereavement,  and  to  add  my  tears  to 
yours.  I  have  always  loved  and  admired  General  Longstreet, 
and  considered  him  one  of  the  greatest  general  officers  in  the 
Confederacy.  He  was  indeed  every  inch  a  man. 
With  kindest  regards  I  remain, 

Sincerely  yours, 

EDWARD  OWEN. 

**  His  great  heart  had  nothing  but  kindness  for  all  that  was  American." 

NICHOLASVILIJ:,  KENTUCKY,  January  22,  1904. 
MRS.  JAMES  LONGSTREET, 

Washington,  D.  C. : 

DEAR  MADAM, — Personally,  I  am  an  entire  stranger  to  you, 
but  I  have  long  been  interested  in  the  story  of  your  brave  hus 
band,  and  especially  in  that  part  bearing  on  the  battle  of 
Gettysburg.  I  am  a  Canadian  by  birth,  though  a  naturalized 
American  citizen,  and  pastor  of  the  Christian  Church  in  this 
place.  I  had  no  interest  in  the  matter  at  issue  save  to  know  the 
truth  and  give  honor  where  honor  is  justly  due.  I  had  read 
General  Gordon's  strictures,  and  was  anxious  to  see  what  could 
be  said  in  reply.  After  reading  your  article  in  the  Courier 
Journal  with  great  care,  I  want  to  say  that  General  Gordon  is 
completely  and  fully  answered  and  his  statements  of  fact  abso 
lutely  refuted. 

The  man  who  would  find  the  Rev.  Mr.  Pendleton  after  the 
facts  you  have  covered  him  with,  would  need  a  divining  rod 
or  a  diving-bell.  He  is  disposed  of  forever. 

Your  illustrious  husband  belonged  to  the  class  of  Southern 

men  which  I  have  always  honored  and  venerated.    With  him  the 

331 


APPENDIX 

war  was  over  and  the  great  heart  which  never  knew  fear  had  in 
it  nothing  but  kindness  for  all  that  was  American.  I  feel  that 
I  have  suffered  a  great  loss  in  not  knowing  him  personally.  I 
drop  a  tear  of  sympathy  with  you  in  his  memory.  I  think  the 
following  lines  on  "  Gettysburg"  most  fitting  now : 

"The  brave  went  down  without  disgrace, 

They  leaped  to  ruin's  red  embrace; 
They  never  heard  Fame's  thunders  wake 
Nor  saw  the  dazzling  sunburst  break 

In  smiles  on  Glory's  bloody  face." 

"  Fold  up  the  banners,  melt  the  guns, 

Love  rules,  a  gentler  purpose  runs; 
A  grateful  mother  turns  in  tears, 
The  pages  of  the  battle  years; 

Lamenting  all  her  fallen  sons." 

Please   accept   my   thanks   for   the   white   light   which   your 
splendid,  your  unanswerable,  letter  casts  on  the  whole  question, 
and  try  to  realize  that  I  am  only  one  of  thousands  who  are 
equally  indebted  and  correspondingly  grateful. 
With  greatest  respect, 

Yours  most  sincerely, 

JAMES   VERNON. 

"  Has  taken  his  place  with  the  great  soldiers  of  all  times." 

RALEIGH,  N.  C.,  January  17,  1904. 

MY  DEAR  MRS.  LONGSTREET, — I  send  you  a  copy  of  the  Post 
by  this  mail,  containing  article  on  your  late  husband  and  great 
soldier. 

The  conduct  of  some  of  our  people  is  a  brutality.  But  I 
beg  to  assure  you  that  it  is  the  result  of  ignorance.  General 
Longstreet  has  taken  his  place  beside  the  great  soldiers  of 
all  times,  and  malice  cannot  reach  him.  I  hope  some  soldier  of 
his  old  corps  will  take  up  the  question  of  these  attacks.  They 
can  be  answered  and  reputed.  You  will  pardon  this  intrusion 
upon  you,  a  sense  of  duty  to  the  truth  of  history  and  love 
for  the  memory  of  your  great  husband  is  my  excuse. 

Truly, 

W.  H.  DAY. 

332 


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PERSONAL  LETTERS 

"  General  Lee's  bull-dog  fighter." 

COMANCHE,  TEXAS,  February  1,  1904. 
MBS.  GENERAL  JAMES  LONGSTREET, 

Gainesville,  Georgia: 

DEAR  MADAM, — Enclosed  please  find  resolutions  of  respect 
passed  by  John  Pelham  Camp,  U.  C.  V.,  No.  565,  Comanche, 
Texas,  to  your  husband. 

As  a  Confederate  soldier  who  followed  the  banner  of  the  lost 
cause  for  four  years  I  desire  to  extend  to  you  personally  my 
heartfelt  sympathy  in  this  great  loss  to  you.  I  was  in  the 
Army  of  Tennessee,  but  a  great  admirer  of  General  Long- 
street.  I  had  a  brother  in  his  command  under  General  Hood. 
The  Southern  people  never  treated  General  Longstreet  with 
that  respect  that  was  due  him.  He  was  General  Lee's  bull-dog 
fighter  during  the  war,  and  remained  true  to  the  cause  until 
all  was  lost.  I  read  with  great  interest  your  defence  of  your 
husband  in  the  Gettysburg  affair,  and  you  show  to  any  fair- 
minded  people  that  he  was  not  in  any  way  responsible  for  the 
loss  of  the  battle.  I  greatly  admire  your  courage  and  fidelity 
in  this  matter.  General  Longstreet  has  many  strong  friends 
in  Texas.  Please  pardon  me  for  the  liberty  I  have  taken  in 
writing  you.  I  have  two  letters  from  General  Longstreet  which 
I  value  highly. 

With  kindest  regards  and  best  wishes,  I  am  truly  your  friend, 

T.  0.  MOORE, 

Late  Company  F,  Seventh  Texas  Volunteer  Infantry  Regiment, 
1861  to  1865;  Colonel  First  Regiment,  Third  Brigade, 
Texas  Division,  U.  C.  V. 

"  When  war  compelled  surrender,  I  accepted  the  situation  in  good  faith." 

SAN  FRANCISCO  LAW  LIBRARY, 

SAN  FRANCISCO,  January  6,  1904. 

DEAR  MADAM, — Learning  of  the  recent  death  of  General 
Longstreet,  I  felt  compelled  to  address  to  you  an  expression  of 
sympathy. 

It  so  happened  that  soon  after  the  close  of  the  Civil  War,  he 
and  I  were  for  a  time  guests  at  the  same  hotel  in  Washington. 

I  then  formed  his  acquaintance  and  had  a  series  of  conver 
sations  with  him,  which  constitute  pleasing  recollections  to  me. 

333 


APPENDIX 

Although  of  Northern  lineage  and  sentiment,  I  learned  to 
admire  a  personality  that  seemed  so  charming  in  civil  life,  and 
which  I  had  learned  to  dread  in  war. 

I  am  aware  that  later  he  fell  under  the  severe  displeasure  of 
many  Southern  people. 

I  know  nothing  of  that  for  which  he  was  blamed,  but  it 
would  make  too  heavy  draft  on  my  credulity  to  believe  that  he 
ever  departed  from  what  he  believed  to  be  just  and  honorable. 

I  well  remember  an  expression  he  made  to  me.  He  said,  "  I 
conscientiously  did  what  I  deemed  my  duty  while  the  controversy 
lasted,  and  when  the  fate  of  war  compelled  surrender,  I  accepted 
the  situation  in  good  faith." 

His  widow  must  greatly  feel  the  loss  of  one  who  was  great 
as  a  soldier  and  so  lovable  as  a  man. 

Allow  me,  a  Northern  man  and  a  stranger,  to  condole  with 
you,  and  again  express  the  high  appreciation  I  entertained  for 
your  illustrious  husband. 

Very  respectfully, 

GEO.  W.  CHAMBERLAIN. 
MBS.  JAMES  LONGSTREET, 

Gainesville,  Georgia. 


"  He  taught  peace  and  conservatism." 

UNITED  STATES  CIRCUIT  COTTET  OF  APPEALS, 
NEW  ORLEAXS,  LOUISIANA,  January  5,  1904. 

MRS.  JAMES  LONGSTREET, 

Gainesville,  Georgia: 

MY  DEAR  MADAM, — I  beg  to  offer  you  my  sincere  sympathy. 
I  greatly  honored  General  Longstreet  for  his  distinguished 
career  as  a  soldier,  and  for  his  wise  and  patriotic  course,  teach 
ing  peace  and  conservatism,  when  war  was  ended.  When 
history  is  written  after  time  has  modified  all  passions  and 
prejudices,  his  career  will  stand  in  honorable  and  distinguished 
contrast  with  those  of  his  critics  who  were  "  invisible  in  war  and 
invincible  in  peace." 

I  shall  always  honor  his  memory  as  soldier  and  citizen. 
Yours  sincerely  and  respectfully, 

DAVID  D.  SHELBY. 

334 


HEADQUARTERS 

DEPARTMENT   OF  TEXAS 

SAN  ANTONIO. 

'1  *4 

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/*v 


PERSONAL  LETTERS 

TECUMSEH,  MICHIGAN,  January  16,  1904. 
MRS.  JAMES  LONGSTREET: 

Gainesville,  Georgia: 

DEAR  MADAM, — Trusting  you  will  pardon  the  intrusion,  I 
desire  to  thank  you  kindly  for  the  pleasure  derived  from  your 
article  so  conclusively  refuting  the  charges  against  General 
James  Longstreet,  unhappily  revived  in  General  Gordon's  book. 
Although  a  Federal  soldier  during  the  last  two  years  of  the  Civil 
War,  its  ending,  with  me,  was  the  close  of  the  unhappy  strife. 
The  admiration  I  held  for  James  Longstreet  was  sincere  and 
well  founded,  and  one  of  the  mementoes  I  much  treasure  is  an 
autograph  letter  from  him,  generously  written  to  me  December 
18,  1893. 

The  news  of  your  husband's  death  was  to  me  a  personal 
grief.  He  was  the  one  remaining  conspicuous  figure  in  the 
great  conflict  which  those  who  participated  in  will  remember 
while  life  remains. 

Very  respectfully, 

JOHN  D.  SHULL. 


"  He  performed  every  duty  faithfully  and  conscientiously." 

IVAKHOE,  VIRGINIA,  January  23,  1904. 

MY  DEAR  MRS.  LONGSTREET, — As  commander  of  the  Ivanhoe 
Camp,  United  Confederate  Veterans,  and  as  perhaps  the 
youngest  Confederate  veteran,  "  who  enlisted  as  a  private,"  I 
desire  to  express  to  you  the  sympathy  of  myself  and  of  the 
Camp  which  I  have  the  honor  to  command.  While  we  mourn 
with  you  in  this  your  sad  hour  of  bereavement,  it  is  gratifying 
to  know  that  General  Longstreet  performed  his  every  duty 
faithfully  and  conscientiously,  and  that  his  many  virtues  will 
entitle  him  to  a  high  seat  in  that  better  world  above,  where  we 
hope,  when  our  mission  on  earth  is  finished,  we  shall  be  permitted 
to  meet  him  in  all  the  glory  which  his  many  virtues  here  below 
so  justly  entitles  him.  Hoping  that  the  Good  Lord,  the  Grand 
Commander  and  Ruler  of  the  Universe,  will  comfort  you  in  your 
sad  trials,  and  with  best  wishes,  I  am  most  sincerely  yours, 

M.  W.  JEWETT, 

Commander  Ivanhoe  Camp,  U.  C.  V. 
335 


APPENDIX 

"  Lamented  by  the  nation." 

MINNEAPOLIS,  January  3,  1904. 

DEAR  MRS.  LONGSTREET, — With  thousands  of  my  country 
men  I  sincerely  lament  the  death  of  your  illustrious  husband, 
the  great  soldier  and  citizen,  and  extend  to  you,  most  bereaved 
of  all,  my  sincere  sympathy. 

Mrs.  Torrance  shares  these  sentiments  with  me,  and  wishes  to 
be  remembered  to  you  in  love  and  sympathy. 
Sincerely  yours, 

ELL  TORRANCE. 
To  MRS.  JAMES  LONGSTREET, 

Washington,  D.  C. 

"  His  name  and  fame  among  the  priceless  treasures  of  all  Americans." 

MONEOE,  GEORGIA,  January  4,  1904. 
MRS.  JAMES  LONGSTREET, 

Gainesville,  Georgia: 

MY  DEAR  MRS.  LONGSTREET, — I  have  noticed  with  great 
regret  and  with  great  sympathy  for  you,  the  news  of  the  death 
of  General  Longstreet. 

All  who  are  familiar  with  his  great  career  will  be  sorrowed  at 
his  passing.  His  place  in  history  is  secure.  And  his  name  and 
fame  are  among  the  priceless  treasures  of  all  Americans. 

I  understand  the  depth  of  the  sorrow  in  which  you  stand  now, 
and  sorrow  with  you. 

In  deepest  sympathy,  I  remain, . 

Sincerely  yours, 

GEO.  M.  NAPIER. 

"  His  greatness  of  character  won  the  respect  of  his  own  and  other  lands." 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  January  3,  1903. 

DEAR  MRS.  LONGSTREET, — The  morning  paper  brings  the 
sad  announcement  of  the  passing  away  of  the  last  survivor  of 
the  brave  sons  of  the  South  who  made  her  name  glorious  in  the 
annals  of  the  world.  The  nation  mourns  the  loss  of  a  noble 
man  whose  greatness  of  character  won  the  respect  not  only  of 
his  own  country  but  of  other  lands.  The  South  weeps  for  a 
son  who  has  conferred  distinction  upon  her  by  a  life  of  stainless 

integrity. 

336 


PERSONAL  LETTERS 

Still  greater  is  the  sorrow  of  a  host  of  personal  friends  whose 
love  he  won  by  the  most  lofty  characteristics  and  a  friendship 
which  failed  not  through  the  years. 

Greatest  of  all  is  the  grief  of  his  family  in  the  loss  of  his 
loving  companionship  and  tender  care.  Especially  heavy  is 
that  loss  to  you,  the  companion  of  his  later  years  whose  devotion 
has  smoothed  the  road  for  his  weary  feet  to  the  end  of  life's 
way.  I  send  you  my  heartfelt  sympathy  in  your  sorrow. 

My  love  and  sympathy  go  out  to  the  dear  children  whose 
mother  was  my  beloved  friend,  whom  I  have  held  in  my  arms  in 
childhood,  and  whose  little  brothers  and  sisters  faded  away  before 
my  loving  eyes  when  their  flower  of  life  had  not  yet  unfolded 
from  the  bud  of  their  sweet  infancy  and  the  mortal  casket  was 
intrusted  to  General  Pickett  and  myself  to  be  laid  away  among 
the  church-yard  lilies  when  the  jewel  of  the  pure  soul  had  been 
taken  beyond. 

To  the  many  to  whom  the  new  year  brings  mourning  for 
the  great  one  gone  I  would  send  sincere  sympathy,  trusting  that 
the  Father  of  all  will  comfort  them  in  their  deep  sorrow. 

Sincerely  yours 

MRS.  GEO.  E.  PICKETT. 

"  His  great  fame  is  fixed." 

CINCINNATI,  OHIO,  January  9,  1904. 
MRS.  JAMES  LONGSTREET, 

Gainesville,  Georgia: 

DEAR  MADAM, — You  need  fear  no  slurs  on  the  reputation  of 
General  Longstreet.  His  great  fame  is  fixed. 

All  over  this  country  wherever  you  find  the  old  boys  who  wore 
the  blue  in  the  sixties,  and  who  had  to  fight  Longstreet's  corps, 
you  will  get  the  same  opinion. 

He  was  a  hard  fighter,  a  tireless  general  who  was  always  ready 
for  a  battle,  and  who  believed  that  hitting  hard,  never  giving 
up,  and  following  up  every  advantage  was  the  right  way  to 
obey  orders. 

Our  regiment,  the  Sixth  Ohio,  met  General  Longstreet  many 
times.  And  whenever  he  was  reported  as  coming  we  got  ready 
for  hard,  stubborn  fighting,  and  we  were  never  disappointed  in 

that  direction. 

22  337 


APPENDIX 

He  was  a  brave  enemy,  and  we  respected  his  great  qualities. 
We  are  going  to  have  a  "  Longstreet  night"  at  our  G.  A.  R. 
Post  here  this  month  (open  meeting),  and  have  invited  all  the 
Confederates  near  here  to  meet  with  us  and  talk  over  old  days 
and  hard  fights. 

Sympathizing  with  you  in  your  loss,  I  remain, 

Yours  obediently, 

GEO.   C.   JAMES. 

"If  Longstreet  was  disobedient,  Lee  was  a  traitor." 

WACO,  TEXAS,  January  12,  1904. 
MRS.  LONGSTREET, 

Gainesville,  Georgia: 

DEAR  MADAM, — Enclosed  I  send  you  a  brief  tribute  that  I 
paid  to  General  Longstreet. 

General  Longstreet's  fame  is  safe  with  all  fair-minded  men, 
but  it  is  the  duty  of  us,  who  knew  him  and  served  under  him, 
to  raise  our  voices  in  his  defence,  now  that  he  cannot  do  so,  as 
he  formerly  so  ably  and  conclusively  did,  and  I  here  make  my 
defence  of  the  charge  that  he  failed  to  do  his  duty  at  Gettys 
burg. 

If  it  is  true  that  General  Longstreet  betrayed  General  Lee 
at  Gettysburg,  and  that  General  Lee  knew  it,  the  legitimate  and 
logical  conclusions  are  that  General  Lee  was  a  traitor,  not  only 
to  the  Confederacy,  but  to  every  man  who  served  under  him. 
All  know  that  at  Gettysburg  Lee  staked  an  empire  on  Long- 
street's  corps,  and  all  know  that  when  it  rolled  back  from  those 
bloody  heights,  leaving  its  bravest  and  its  best  cold  in  death 
upon  its  grassy  slopes,  that  the  sun  of  the  Confederacy,  with 
battle  target  red,  slowly  sank  into  the  bosom  of  eternal  night. 
And  to  say  that  General  Lee  knew  that  General  Longstreet  was 
responsible  for  the  loss  of  the  battle,  responsible  for  the  death 
of  so  many  brave  men  who  had  there  died  in  vain,  responsible 
for  the  ruin  of  a  cause  dear  to  so  many  hearts,  and  then  permit 
the  man  who  had  brought  all  this  about,  to  remain  as  the  com 
mander  of  the  First  Corps  of  his  army,  to  lovingly  speak  of  him 
as  he  did  as  his  right  arm,  to  send  him  in  two  months  after  the 
battle  of  Gettysburg  in  command  of  his  corps  to  save  the  Army 

of  Tennessee  from  the  ruin  brought  upon  it  by  the  inefficiency 

338 


PERSONAL  LETTERS 

of  Bragg,  to  permit  him  to  remain  throughout  that  long  and 
dreary  winter  that  he  spent  in  East  Tennessee,  to  bring  him 
back  to  Virginia  and  be  his  chosen  lieutenant  from  the  Wilder 
ness  to  the  banks  of  the  James,  and  from  the  James  to  Appo- 
mattox,  is  to  convict  General  Lee  of  a  treason  to  both  himself 
and  his  country,  more  damnable  than  that  which  so-called  ad 
mirers  of  General  Lee  charge  upon  Longstreet. 
I  remain,  very  truy  yours, 

G.  B.  GERALD. 

"  Denounced  with  bitterness  the  statement  of  Pendleton." 

CORSICAKA,  TEXAS,  January  8,  1904. 
MBS.  JAMES  LONGSTREET, 

Gainesville,  Georgia: 

MADAM, — Your  noble  defence  of  your  great  husband  places 
beyond  cavil  or  controversy  the  fame  of  an  illustrious  career. 

Yesterday,  as  I  finished  reading  it,  the  bent  form  of  one  who 
had  followed  him  everywhere,  "  amid  the  fiery  pang  of  shells," 
passed,  and  I  called  him  and  read  him  the  charge.  "  Liars ! 
Liars!"  and  the  light  of  battle  passed  once  more  into  his  eyes 
as  he  defended  General  Longstreet.  Then  I  read  him  your 
letter,  and  then  he  cried. 

You  will  pardon  me  for  this  intrusion  on  your  sorrow.  My 
father  was  a  cavalry  officer  in  the  volunteers  in  Scott's  cam 
paign  in  Mexico.  He  there  formed  the  acquaintance  of  General 
Longstreet,  and  none  denounced  with  more  bitterness  the  state 
ment  of  Pendleton. 

With  a  sincere  wish  for  your  future  happiness, 

I  am  most  respectfully, 

J.  C.  GAITHER. 

"  He  was  too  big  a  man  for  his  day." 

NEW  ORLEANS,  LOUISIANA,  January  4,  1904. 
MRS.  GENERAL  JAMES  LONGSTREET, 

Gainesville,  Georgia: 

DEAR  MADAM, — Enclosed  I  send  you  the  Picayune  comment 
on  the  death  of  your  distinguished  husband  and  my  honored 
commander. 

General  Longstreet  is  blamed  for  the  mistake  of  General  Lee 

339 


APPENDIX 

in  charging  the  heights  of  Gettysburg.  The  same  mistake  was 
made  by  General  Burnside  at  Fredericksburg ;  which  clearly 
proves  that  American  soldiers  can  not  successfully  charge 
heights  guarded  by  Americans.  That  is  settled. 

Why  should  General  Lee  send  General  Longstreet  to  Chicka- 
mauga  immediately  after  Gettysburg,  if  Longstreet  had  been 
guilty  of  anything  that  his  enemies  so  persistently  accuse. 

The  only  thing  that  General  Longstreet  was  guilty  of  was 
the  acceptance  of  office  under  the  United  States  government 
after  the  war.  Now  suppose  all  the  Confederate  generals  had 
accepted  office  as  he  did,  would  it  not  have  effectively  kept  the 
office-holders  placed  here  by  the  carpet-bag  government  out  of 
power?  And  also,  how  many  ex-Confederates  refuse  office 
under  the  United  States  government  to-day,  is  a  question  I 
would  like  to  have  answered.  Longstreet  was  too  big  a  man 
for  his  day,  that  was  all. 

The  scribbling  of  unscrupulous  parties  can  not  dim  his  fame. 
He  was  the  hardest  fighter  of  the  Civil  War,  participant  in 
all  the  battles  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  and  victor  on 
the  only  great  field  won  by  the  Confederates  in  the  West, 
Chickamauga. 

I  deeply  sympathize  with  you,  as  I  know  all  of  Longstreet's 
corps  do. 

Yours  truly, 

GEO.  W.  WEIR, 

Company  A,  Hampton  Legion,  Hood's  Brigade,  Longstreet's 
Corps,  Army  of  Northern  Virginia. 

"  He  stood  the  brunt  of  the  battle  at  Gettysburg." 

KRUMDALE,  TEXAS,  January  3,  1904. 
MRS.  GENERAL  JAMES  LONGSTREET, 

Gainesville,  Georgia: 

MY  DEAR  MADAM, — As  an  old  Confederate  soldier  of  the 
Eighteenth  Virginia  Regiment,  Pickett's  division,  General  James 
Longstreet's  corps,  I  wish  to  extend  to  you  my  heartfelt  sym 
pathy  and  condolence  in  your  sad  affliction  in  the  death  of  your 
gallant  and  illustrious  husband.  His  old  comrades  will  never  for 
a  moment  believe  the  calumny  that  has  been  thrust  against  him. 

A  pure,  true  soldier,  a   good,  noble,   and   loyal   citizen.      He 

340 


PERSONAL  LETTERS 

rests  now  over  the  river  under  the  shades  of  the  beautiful 
heavenly  trees,  the  peer  of  Hon.  Jeff.  Davis,  General  R.  E.  Lee, 
Stonewall  Jackson,  and  others.  May  his  ashes  rest  in  peace. 
When  I  read  the  announcement  of  his  death  in  the  papers  and 
your  letter  it  made  my  heart  bleed,  and  the  only  comfort  I 
could  find  was  to  weep  like  a  child.  I  congratulate  you  on  your 
well-written  defence  and  complete  vindication  of  my  old  com 
rade  and  general.  I  loved  him  so  much,  and  so  long  as  life  shall 
last  I  will  cherish  a  lively  recollection  of  his  many  noble  and 
gallant  deeds.  I  was  with  him  on  that  memorable  day,  and  can 
testify  that  he  stood  the  brunt  of  the  battle  on  the  3d  of  July 
at  Gettysburg.  I  cannot  understand  how  any  pure  or  noble  or 
brave  man  could  circulate  such  false  statements  against  one  of 
the  best  and  bravest  men  in  our  army.  But  envy  is  a  malicious 
foe,  always  ready  to  destroy  that  which  it  cannot  imitate  or  sur 
pass.  May  God  comfort  and  his  blessings  abide  with  you  and 
yours  is  the  prayer  of  one  that  entertains  the  highest  respect 
for  you  and  the  memory  of  your  husband. 

R.  P.  GOODMAN. 


"  One  of  the  greatest  military  men  of  the  age." 

MRS.  LONGSTREET: 

DEAR  MADAM, — I  had  not  the  honor  of  a  personal  acquaint 
ance  with  your  illustrious  husband,  nor  was  I  with  him  in  the 
war  on  his  side  of  the  question,  in  any  sense.  But  I  believe 
him  to  have  been  one  of  the  greatest  military  men  of  the  age, 
and  with  no  superior  on  the  Southern  side.  His  course  since  the 
war  has  inspired  the  highest  respect  and  esteem  of  every  patri 
otic  and  intelligent  lover  of  the  Union. 

At  Gettysburg,  in  my  opinion,  he  was  the  one  sure-footed 
counsellor  of  Lee's  many  advisers. 

One  of  our  papers,  recently  commenting  on  his  life,  took 
occasion  to  refer  to  the  old  charges  of  delay  at  Gettysburg.     I 
expect  to  answer  these  charges  in  a  lengthy  article. 
Yours  sincerely, 

H.  W.  HARMON. 

EFFINOHAM,  N.  H. 

341 


APPENDIX 

"Always  present  at  the  critical  and  dangerous  point." 

ATHEKS,  January  4,  1904. 

MY  DEAR  MRS.  LONGSTREET, — I  write  to  assure  you  of  my 
heartfelt  sympathy  with  you  in  your  great  bereavement. 

I  mourn  with  deep  sorrow  the  death  of  General  Longstreet. 
I  have  witnessed  many  times  his  valor  and  devotion.  He  seemed 
to  me  to  be  absolutely  ubiquitous  on  the  battle-field — always 
present  at  the  critical  and  dangerous  point. 

The  proudest  recollections  of  my  life  are  associated  with  the 
glorious  First  Corps  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  and 
its  heroic  commander. 

With  renewed  assurance  of  my  sympathy,  I  am, 

Yours  very  sincerely, 

ALEX.  T.  ERWIN. 


"  He  died  as  he  had  lived,  a  model  to  mankind." 

METROPOLITAN  CLTTB, 
NEW  YORK  CITY,  January  3,  1904. 

DEAR  MRS.  LONGSTREET, — I  can  not  express  to  you  the 
regret  I  felt  when  I  read  to-day  of  the  death  of  my  noble  chief, 
your  dear  husband.  A  flood  of  vivid  recollections  overwhelmed 
me.  It  was  no  surprise  to  me,  as  I  knew  the  nature  of  the  ill 
he  suffered  under ;  still  he  was  dead,  and  a  blank  left  in  my  lif e 
which  no  time  can  heal.  He  was  so  much  to  me.  For  four 
years  I  had  ridden  at  his  side,  and  shared  his  confidence,  and 
had  learned  to  love  him  well.  No  unkind  word  or  look  stands 
between  us,  and  my  sorrow  is  that  of  one  of  his  sons. 

To  you  he  has  owed  many  happy  years,  and  his  old  com 
rades  will  always  bear  you  in  tender  thought. 

In  your  last  letter  to  me  you  wrote  that  the  doctors  had  said 
he  had  "  a  fighting  chance."  But  alas !  his  time  had  come,  and 
it  found  him  ready  I  am  sure.  His  life  was  blameless  as  it  was 
brave,  and  he  died  as  he  had  lived,  a  model  to  mankind. 

To  you  and  his  children  I  offer  my  heartfelt  sympathy.  I 
can  say  no  more,  as  my  heart  is  very  full.  As  I  see  that  he  is 
to  be  buried  to-morrow  I  can  not  be  present,  but  my  heart  will 
be  with  you  at  his  grave. 

Always  most  warmly  yours, 

OSMAN  LATROBE. 

342 


PERSONAL  LETTERS 

"  The  country  had  no  more  devoted  patriot." 

MY  DEAR  MRS.  LONGSTREET, — Please  accept  my  profound 
sympathy  in  your  great  bereavement. 

While  as  a  member  of  his  corps  from  the  time  of  its  organi 
zation  to  the  end,  I  knew  General  Longstreet  only  as  a  subor 
dinate  knows  his  superior  officer,  after  the  struggle  was  over 
I  met  him  frequently  and  conversed  with  him  on  many  subjects, 
and  to  my  admiration  and  devotion  to  the  soldier  and  general 
was  superadded  esteem  for  him  as  a  citizen  and  a  high  regard 
and  fondness  for  him  as  a  friend. 

If  some  critics  had  known  his  methods  as  a  commander,  and 
witnessed  his  powers  in  battle,  as  we  of  his  corps  did  on  many 
hard-fought  fields,  and  understood  his  course  and  motives  as  a 
civilian  as  his  friends  did,  they  would  bestow  upon  him  nothing 
but  words  of  praise  and  gratitude.  The  ranking  lieutenant- 
general  of  Lee's  great  army,  he  always  had  the  confidence  of 
the  commander-in-chief  and  the  respect  and  admiration  of  all, 
and  the  "  lost  cause"  had  no  braver  or  truer  defender  and  the 
country  no  more  devoted  patriot. 

But  I  only  intended  to  write  a  line  of  sympathy,  hoping  to 
meet  you  again  some  time  when  we  can  talk  of  him  and  his 
career. 

With  kind  regards,  I  am, 

Very  sincerely, 

N.  L.  HUTCHINS. 

LAWBENCEVU.LE,  GEORGIA. 


"  The  brilliant  leader  of  gallant  armies,  but  greater  in  peace  as  the  pa 
triotic  citizen." 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  January  5,  1904. 

MY  DEAR  MRS.  LONGSTREET, — My  heart  was  very  deeply 
touched  by  the  news  of  General  Longstreet's  death,  and  I  write 
to  assure  you  of  my  profound  sorrow  over  the  event  and  of 
my  warm  sympathy  for  you  in  the  unspeakable  loss  which  you 
sustain. 

General  Longstreet  will  always  live  in  the  great  and  ennobling 
example  which  he  set  before  his  fellow-men.  He  was  truly  great 
in  war  as  the  brilliant  leader  of  gallant  armies,  but  he  was 

greater  in  peace  as  the  patriotic  citizen  loyally  dedicating  his 

343 


APPENDIX 

splendid  fame  to  the  cause  of  his  country's  restoration  to  an 
harmonious  brotherhood. 

His  conduct  since  the  termination  of  the  mighty  struggle  in 
which  he  bore  a  distinguished  part  was  prompted  by  the  highest 
wisdom  and  by  the  purest  love  of  country.  And  his  fame  can 
never  be  dimned  by  the  failure  of  the  narrow-minded  few  to 
appreciate  his  great  qualities  of  heart  and  of  brain.  I  rejoice 
in  the  fact  that  he  lived  to  a  ripe  old  age,  and  was  thereby 
blessed  with  the  privilege  of  witnessing  the  good  fruits  of  his 
noble  career. 

With  profound  respect, 

I  am  truly  yours, 

GEORGE  BASER. 

"  His  surpassing  ability  won  him  admiration  as  an  American  soldier." 

PHILADELPHIA,  January  3,  1904. 

DEAR  MRS.  LONGSTREET, — Permit  me  to  express  my  heart 
felt  sympathy  in  your  sad  loss  and  unexpected  bereavement. 

It  had  never  been  my  good  fortune  to  meet  the  general,  but 
his  surpassing  ability  and  great  and  earnest  devotion  to  the 
South  won  him,  as  an  American  soldier,  our  admiration,  and 
entitled  him  to  the  love  and  thanks  of  those  whose  cause  was, 
for  so  long,  the  object  of  his  sacrifices. 

We  in  the  North,  or  many  of  us,  rate  General  Longstreet 
as  among  the  ablest  of  those  who  fought  against  us,  and  it  was 
fortunate  for  us  that  he  did  not  have  command  at  some  critical 
moments,  when  his  superior  judgment  would  have  directed 
other  movements  than  those  which  were  made. 

I  am,  madam, 

Very  respectfully  yours, 

H.  S.  HUIDEKOPER. 

"Soldiers  who  served  on  the  firing  line  knew  the  leaders." 

MY  DEAR  MRS.  LONGSTREET, — We  soldiers  who  served  four 
years  on  the  firing  line  know  who  were  the  leaders;  and  Long- 
street  is  held  in  high  esteem  as  a  broad-guage  man  in  the  North. 

Yours  truly, 

J.  L.  SMITH. 

PHILADELPHIA,  January  5,  1904. 

344 


TRIBUTE  FROM  GRAND  ARMY  OF  THE  REPUBLIC 


TRIBUTE   FROM   THE   GRAND   ARMY   OF 
THE    REPUBLIC 

That  splendid  soldier  and  generous  gentleman,  Major-Gen 
eral  Oliver  Otis  Howard,  sent  the  following  letter  to  the  Grand 
Army  Encampment,  assembled  in  thirty-eighth  annual  session 
at  Boston,  Massachusetts,  August  15  to  20,  1904: 

"  BURLINGTON,  VERMONT,  August  10,  1904. 
"  To  the  G.  A.  R.  assembled  at  Boston: 

"COMRADES, — Our  Commander-in-Chief  having  already  sent  his  subscrip 
tion  to  the  Memorial  Volume  to  General  Longstreet,  written  by  his  widow, 
I  wish  to  join  a  list  of  subscribers  to  be  forwarded  from  this  encamp 
ment  to  Mrs.  Longstreet,  which  we  will  request  General  Black  to  transmit 
with  assurances  of  our  regard  and  admiration  for  her  great  husband, 
whom  we  learned  to  fear  on  so  many  brilliant  fields,  and  in  a  later  day  to 
admire  for  his  noble  qualities  as  citizen  of  the  reunited  nation." 

This  tribute  came  to  me  accompanied  by  a  delightfully  long 
list  of  subscribers  to  this  little  volume.  I  would  be  pleased  to 
print  the  list,  but  want  of  space  forbids. 

THE   SONS   FOLLOW    THE   FATHERS 

The  twenty-third  Annual  Encampment  of  the  Commandery- 
in-Chief  of  the  Sons  of  Veterans,  U.  S.  A.,  was  in  session  at 
Boston,  August  17  to  19,  1904. 

At  their  closing  session,  E.  R.  Campbell,  of  Washington, 
D.  C.,  Past  Commander-in-Chief,  acting  under  unanimous  con 
sent,  brought  the  above  tribute  from  the  Veterans  to  the  atten 
tion  of  the  Sons  of  Veterans. 

In  a  graceful  speech  he  referred  to  this  beautiful  testimonial 
from  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  to  the  memory  of  a 
gallant  opponent;  asserted  that  the  sons  should  follow  in  the 
footsteps  of  the  fathers  in  all  things  attesting  the  spirit  of  a 
reunited  nation;  that  it  was  the  pleasure  of  the  sons  on  their 
own  account  and  in  the  light  of  history  to  testify  to  their 
enthusiastic  appreciation  of  the  valorous  deeds  of  General 
Longstreet  on  the  battle-field,  and  his  equally  commendable 

345 


APPENDIX 

services  to  his  country  when  the  war  was  over;  and  asked  that 
the  matter  be  referred  for  further  official  action  and  endorse 
ment  to  the  incoming  commander-in-chief,  General  William  G. 
Dustin,  of  Dwight,  Illinois. 

The  sentiment  was  applauded,  the  action  asked  was  granted, 
and  the  tokens  of  individual  approval  and  appreciation  are 
continuing  to  gladden  my  heart  as  I  write  these  closing  words 
of  grateful  thanks  to  the  fathers,  the  sons,  and  all  who  have 
so  generously  united  in  appreciation  of  the  name  and  fame 
of  General  Longstreet. 


346 


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